Sport Updates
Same-day match highlights, records, team news and results from across the sports you follow.
Asian Games 2026 Set for September 19 Start in Nagoya, Japan
The 20th Asian Games get underway on September 19 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, running through October 4 across 43 sports. It marks Japan's third time hosting the Games, following Tokyo 1958 and Hiroshima 1994. The Olympic Council of Asia's flagship multi-sport event brings together thousands of athletes from across the continent, competing for medals in disciplines ranging from Olympic staples like athletics, swimming and gymnastics to sports with deep roots in Asian sporting culture, including kabaddi, sepak takraw and wushu. Esports and breaking, which made their official medal debut at Hangzhou 2022, return again this edition. China arrives as the overwhelming favourite to top the medal table, having done so at every edition since 1982, a run of dominance that has held since Japan's own streak at the top ended that year. India , the inaugural hosts back in 1951, will be looking to build on a landmark showing at Hangzhou 2022, where they became just the fourth nation in Games history to cross 100 medals at a single edition. Cricket at these Games continues to be run through the sport's regular tournament pipeline rather than as standalone medal events, following the same setup used at recent editions. With the countdown now under three weeks, full sport-by-sport schedules and squad announcements are expected to firm up in the coming days as nations finalise their travelling contingents.
Emery Confirms Ollie Watkins' £51m Al-Hilal Move as Villa's Record PL Scorer Departs
Unai Emery has confirmed that Ollie Watkins is leaving Aston Villa for Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in a deal worth £51 million , ending a six-year spell that saw him become the club's all-time leading Premier League scorer. Watkins departs with 91 Premier League goals for Villa and 108 in all competitions across 278 appearances since his £28m move from Brentford in 2020. He is now expected to travel to Riyadh to complete a medical and sign terms in Saudi Arabia. Emery also addressed Watkins' apology for making himself unavailable for Villa's opening-day defeat to Brighton. "He told us after the Brighton match he was sorry and that he had made a mistake," Emery said. "He was wrong, but we accepted it. His commitment and his behaviour was fantastic. He's a fantastic guy, even more than a player." Villa have moved quickly to address the gap up front, with Nicolas Jackson's £65m arrival from Chelsea already finalised as Watkins' direct replacement. Emery framed the sale as part of a necessary squad rebuild after a summer that has also seen Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans, Ezri Konsa and Lucas Digne depart Villa Park. "We took decisions because it's good for the club," he said. "We have to rebuild the team as fast as possible."
Barcelona Officially Sign Goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic From Fenerbahce
Barcelona have officially confirmed the signing of Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic from Fenerbahce, adding a proven international presence to Hansi Flick's goalkeeping options. The 31-year-old has signed a four-year contract running until June 2030 . Barcelona are paying an initial fee of €2 million , with a further €2 million available in add-ons. Livakovic passed his medical and completed the formalities in Barcelona earlier this week before the club made the move official. Livakovic is expected to serve as backup to first-choice keeper Joan Garcia , with veteran Wojciech Szczesny also in the squad following Marc-Andre ter Stegen's loan move to Ajax earlier this summer. His exact role for the season, including whether he stays at Camp Nou or heads out on loan, is still being worked out. The Croatia international impressed at this year's World Cup and returns to La Liga for a second spell, having previously spent time on loan at Girona. He becomes Barcelona's sixth signing of a busy summer window, following the arrivals of Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi, Rodri and Joao Cancelo among others, with the club still weighing a further move for Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez before the window shuts.
Champions League 2026/27 League-Phase Draw: Arsenal Get Real Madrid and Bayern, Man City Draw PSG
The 2026/27 Champions League league-phase draw took place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on Thursday, throwing up a set of blockbuster fixtures for England's five representatives. Arsenal face two of the tournament's traditional heavyweights, drawn against Real Madrid and Bayern Munich among their eight opponents. Manchester City also get a glamour tie, paired with holders Paris Saint-Germain . Manchester United, Aston Villa and Liverpool make up the rest of England's contingent in the 36-team field, with Celtic missing out this year after a play-off exit to LASK. Under the format introduced two seasons ago, each of the 36 clubs plays eight different opponents across a single league table, two from each of four seeding pots, rather than the old group-stage format. Every club plays four matches at home and four away. The league phase runs across eight matchdays, kicking off with matchday one on 8-10 September 2026 and concluding in late January 2027, before the top eight advance directly to the round of 16 and the rest head into a knockout play-off round. With the pots finalised only after this week's play-off round, the draw brought together the last of the 36 qualifiers, including newcomers LASK and Sabah , who reached the league phase for the first time following dramatic play-off wins over Celtic and Hapoel Be'er Sheva respectively.
Manav Suthar's 16 wickets, Dhruv Jurel's maiden ton headline India's series depth in Sri Lanka
Devdutt Padikkal's Player of the Series award grabbed the headlines, but India's 1-0 win in Sri Lanka was built on contributions across the squad. Manav Suthar was the standout with the ball, finishing the two-Test series with 16 wickets . He picked up a maiden Test 10-wicket haul in the series opener, running through Sri Lanka's second innings, and followed it up with 6 more wickets in the drawn 2nd Test. Dhruv Jurel also had a series to remember with the bat. After starting with useful contributions in the 1st Test, he made his first Test century in the 2nd Test, an unbeaten 115 that helped push India past 500 and set up the eventual declaration. His overall tally read 173 runs from three innings. Rishabh Pant showed his usual fight despite carrying a wrist injury picked up on Day 1 of the 2nd Test. He continued to bat through the pain and still finished with 168 runs across the series, including a fighting 66 in the series opener. Between Suthar's wickets, Jurel's maiden hundred and Pant's resilience, India's squad depth was a big factor behind Padikkal's headline series and the eventual 1-0 series win.
Sonal Dinusha's twin centuries help Sri Lanka save 2nd Test, India take series 1-0
Sri Lanka batted out the final day in Colombo to draw the 2nd Test against India, thanks to a remarkable match from Sonal Dinusha . Following on after India declared at 503/9 , Sri Lanka were bowled out for 290 in their first innings before Dinusha led the fightback in the second, finishing unbeaten on 133 as Sri Lanka reached 429/9 before declaring themselves. It capped a stunning individual effort. Dinusha had also top-scored with 103 in the first innings, giving him twin centuries in the same Test, and he was named Player of the Match for the knocks. Pasindu Sooriyabandara made 92 and Kamindu Mendis 55 in support, while for India, Manav Suthar (3 wickets) and Ravindra Jadeja (3 wickets) shared the bulk of the bowling workload across the marathon innings. Asitha Fernando held firm at the other end to see Sri Lanka through to safety. With the match drawn, India win the two-match series 1-0 , having taken the series opener by 165 runs. Devdutt Padikkal was named Player of the Series after a prolific run with the bat, finishing with 328 runs at an average of 109.33, including twin centuries of his own across the two Tests.
Women's Asia Cup 2026 Preview: Tournament Begins August 28 in Dubai
The Women's Asia Cup 2026 gets underway on August 28 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, with the tournament opener between Thailand and Hong Kong, China kicking off three weeks of T20 cricket across the region's leading women's sides. Eight teams have been split into two groups for the tournament, with Group A featuring holders India , Pakistan , Thailand and Hong Kong, China , while Group B brings together Sri Lanka , Bangladesh , the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia . India enter as defending champions, having lifted the trophy at the previous edition, and open their campaign against Thailand on August 30, before a high-profile group clash with arch-rivals Pakistan on September 5. The tournament runs entirely on the group-stage format through to September 8, with the top two sides from each group progressing to the knockout stage. Semi-Final 1 is scheduled for September 10, followed by Semi-Final 2 on September 11, before the tournament concludes with the final on September 13 , all matches to be played at the same Dubai venue. With all 15 matches, including the final, being played at a single venue, conditions and dew factor are likely to play a significant role as the tournament progresses into its business end, particularly for teams chasing under lights. As always with the Asia Cup, the India-Pakistan fixture on September 5 is likely to be one of the standout draws of the group stage, though with two semi-final spots up for grabs in each group, plenty of other sides will have genuine chances of a deep run in this year's edition.
Savio Scores on Tottenham Debut as Spurs Thrash Charlton 5-1 in Carabao Cup
Tottenham booked their place in the Carabao Cup third round with a comfortable 5-1 win over Charlton Athletic , with new signing Savio scoring on his debut after coming off the bench in a much-needed feel-good night for Roberto De Zerbi's side. Spurs, still smarting from Saturday's 3-0 opening-day defeat at Brentford, took control before the break through Mikey Moore , who cut inside and crashed a left-footed strike through the hands of goalkeeper Tiernan Brooks in the 41st minute. Dominic Solanke doubled the lead three minutes later, rifling home after Charlton failed to deal with a corner, sending the sides in 2-0 up at half-time. Charlton's afternoon had already been disrupted by injury before then, with defender Collins Sichenje stretchered off with a potentially serious knee issue and Billy Koumetio also forced off inside the first 15 minutes. Tottenham eased through the second half, with substitute Kevin Danso heading home his first touch off the bench to make it 3-0. Spurs then completed the club's £85 million signing of Savio from Manchester City on transfer deadline day, and the Brazilian winger marked his introduction in style, coming on in the 71st minute and getting off the mark for his new club with a fizzing low finish into the bottom corner in the 82nd minute. Three minutes later, another Savio effort deflected in off Ben Davies to make it five, before Lloyd Jones grabbed a late consolation for Charlton in the 87th minute. The result gives De Zerbi his first win in charge of Tottenham and offers an immediate reason for optimism around Savio, whose lengthy pursuit finally came to fruition on deadline day. With no European football to distract from this season, a strong run in this competition would be a welcome boost for a Spurs side eager to put their difficult start to the Premier League campaign behind them.
Bradford City Stun Burnley on Penalties in Carabao Cup Upset
Bradford City pulled off one of the night's biggest Carabao Cup upsets, eliminating Championship side Burnley on penalties after a goalless draw at Valley Parade, continuing the League One side's impressive unbeaten start to the season. Burnley, who made nine changes from their weekend defeat at West Brom, started the brighter of the two sides, forcing an early save from Bradford goalkeeper Jon McCracken , who tipped over a well-struck effort before denying another shot from 25 yards. Bradford, who had not conceded a goal in their first three games of the season, defended solidly throughout, with defender Reece Welch making a crucial block to deny Zeki Amdouni from close range. Both sides created half-chances as the game wore on, but neither could find a breakthrough across the 90 minutes. The tie went to penalties, where Bradford held their nerve. Amdouni struck the post with Burnley's first spot-kick, and McCracken then saved from Jacob Bruun Larsen, as Bradford converted their remaining kicks to seal a 4-2 shootout win and book their place in the third round. The result compounds an uncomfortable start to the season for Burnley under head coach Nicky Hayen, who guided the club back to the Championship after relegation from the Premier League last season. It marks the second successive round the Clarets have needed penalties just to stay level, having also required a shootout to see off fellow League One side Notts County in the previous round, before falling this time to Bradford's resilience on home turf.
Thierno Barry's First Everton Hat-Trick Sends Toffees Past Preston 4-0
Everton cruised into the third round of the Carabao Cup with a comprehensive 4-0 win over Preston North End at Deepdale, with striker Thierno Barry scoring his first hat-trick for the club and adding an assist for good measure. Barry, who opened his account for the season in Saturday's Premier League win over Crystal Palace, wasted no time adding to his tally, opening the scoring before doubling Everton's lead in the first half. He completed his hat-trick after the break, capping a man-of-the-match display with eight goals in 41 games during the 2025/26 season already halfway matched in just his first few matches of the new campaign. The French forward's afternoon wasn't done there, as he turned provider for a fourth goal, teeing up new signing Brennan Johnson to net his first goal in 35 games, a welcome return to form for the Wales international. Preston, who have lost their opening two Championship fixtures this season, offered little going forward beyond a smart overhead kick from substitute Callum Lang that was well saved by Jordan Pickford, with Everton dominant and in control throughout. The win extends what looks to be a breakthrough run of form for Barry, who had endured a difficult adjustment period to English football since his big-money move from Villarreal. Manager David Moyes, back at the club where he made his name as both player and manager, will take real encouragement from the growing understanding between Barry and his new teammates. Everton, who have not progressed beyond the third round of the Carabao Cup since 2023/24, have been drawn to face Wolves in the next round as they look to build on a promising start to the season.
Newcastle Complete £52m Signing of Nico Gonzalez From Manchester City
Newcastle United have officially completed the signing of Spanish midfielder Nico Gonzalez from Manchester City on a long-term deal, in a package reported to be worth up to £52 million . The 24-year-old, a product of Barcelona's famed La Masia academy, will wear the number six shirt at St James' Park and becomes the seventh senior addition to Newcastle's squad this summer. Newcastle are paying an initial £48 million, with a further £4 million in potential add-ons, for a player City themselves signed from Porto for a similar fee back in January 2025. Gonzalez's time at City lasted 18 months and yielded 59 appearances and 4 goals, but his path to regular football became increasingly difficult following the arrivals of Elliot Anderson for a club-record £116 million and, separately, City's continued pursuit of further midfield reinforcements. He was an unused substitute in City's Premier League win over Bournemouth and played just 11 minutes in the Community Shield defeat to Arsenal, form that ultimately convinced him his future lay elsewhere. For Newcastle, the signing addresses a pressing need in midfield following the high-profile departures of club captain Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon over the summer. Head coach Matthias Jaissle described Gonzalez as a proven winner who is still young and hungry to develop further, while sporting director Ross Wilson said the club had worked patiently on the transfer for several weeks, calling it the one they wanted. "I love the black and white shirt already and I can't wait to start wearing it on the pitch for this club," Gonzalez said following the move, adding that he had already experienced the intensity of playing at St James' Park as an opponent and was excited to do so as a home player.
Mbappe's Hat-Trick Powers Real Madrid Past Real Sociedad on Mourinho's Bernabeu Return
Kylian Mbappe struck a brilliant hat-trick as Real Madrid thrashed Real Sociedad 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu, marking Jose Mourinho's first home match in charge of the club since his previous spell as manager more than 13 years ago. Mbappe opened the scoring in the 40th minute, latching onto a fine defence-splitting pass from Federico Valverde and firing into the top corner. Real Sociedad hit back almost immediately, with Luka Sucic capitalising on a goalmouth scramble to level the score four minutes later, sending the sides in level at half-time despite a tense opening period for the hosts. The second half belonged entirely to Madrid. Mbappe restored the lead in the 60th minute, combining with Jude Bellingham for a slick one-two before finishing low past Alex Remiro. Bellingham then turned provider eight minutes later, his pressing winning back possession before setting up Vinicius Junior to make it 3-1. Mbappe completed his hat-trick in the 80th minute, latching onto another delightful pass from Vinicius to seal a dominant win and cap the perfect night for Madrid's front three. The victory made it two wins from two for Mourinho's Madrid, following their late 2-1 win at Espanyol in his first match back in charge last Saturday. Before kickoff, Spain World Cup winner Marc Cucurella, now a Real Madrid player following his summer move from Chelsea after helping Spain lift the trophy, presented the World Cup to the Bernabeu crowd, adding to the occasion of Mourinho's emotional homecoming. With Mbappe, Vinicius and Bellingham all firing in the same match, Mourinho's men have sent an early warning to the rest of La Liga, including rivals Barcelona, who themselves made a strong start to the season with a 5-0 win over Elche. The result suggests Mourinho may already be finding a way to get his three biggest attacking talents firing together, something he had flagged as tricky but not impossible before the match.
Dean Elgar to Retire From Professional Cricket at End of 2026 Season
Dean Elgar has announced his retirement from all professional cricket at the end of the ongoing 2026 season, bringing the curtain down on a decorated 21-year career in the professional game. The former South Africa Test captain, now 39, had already retired from international cricket back in January 2024, walking away after his 86th and final Test appearance against India at Newlands in Cape Town. Across his international career, Elgar amassed 5,347 runs for South Africa at an average of 37.92, including 14 centuries and a best score of 199 against Bangladesh in 2017. He also captained the Proteas in 18 of those Tests. Since then, Elgar has continued playing county cricket for Essex, where he arrived in 2023 to fill the void left by Sir Alastair Cook's retirement. He has been the club's leading run-scorer on multiple occasions and remained a senior, experienced presence in the dressing room, helping develop the county's younger players alongside his own on-field contributions. Reflecting on his career, Elgar cited family priorities as the main reason behind his decision, saying it was time to be present at home for his partner and children after years spent on the road. He also looked back fondly on captaining South Africa, singling out a series win over England at Lord's as one of the proudest moments of his career. Essex director of cricket Chris Silverwood praised Elgar's longevity and resilience, calling him an extremely important figure for the club during his time at Chelmsford. Elgar said he hopes to take a sabbatical from the game once his playing days are done, before deciding what comes next in his post-retirement chapter.
Mitchell Starc Overtakes Jasprit Bumrah to Become No. 1 Test Bowler
Mitchell Starc has moved to No. 1 in the ICC Men's Test Bowling Rankings, leapfrogging Jasprit Bumrah for the first time in a while after a sensational run of form that has included back-to-back match-winning performances against Bangladesh. Starc now sits on 872 rating points , edging ahead of Bumrah, who slips to second on 862 having held top spot for an extended period. The Australian left-armer's rise has been fuelled by a stunning start to the home summer, highlighted by his 6 for 12 and 4 for 39 in the second Test against Bangladesh at Mackay, a match haul of 10 for 51 that also brought up his 600th international wicket milestone and saw him named both Player of the Match and Player of the Series. Matt Henry of New Zealand rounds out the top three on 861, just a single point further back, keeping the top of the bowling charts extremely tight. Pat Cummins has also risen to fourth on 841, continuing a strong period for Australia's pace attack collectively, while Marco Jansen of South Africa completes the top five on 825. Further down the list, Kagiso Rabada has climbed to sixth, and Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon has moved up to 10th on 731 points, having also recently reached the milestone of 600 international wickets in the same Mackay Test. England's Ollie Robinson continues his rise too, up to 11th following his Player of the Match display against Pakistan at Headingley. With Bumrah having played a reduced schedule through careful workload management, and Starc in the form of his career, the battle for the top Test bowling spot looks set to remain a closely fought contest between the two spearheads over the coming months.
Rain Halts Play as Sri Lanka Lead India by 16 Runs at Day 4 Stumps in Colombo
Rain cut short play on day four of the second Test in Colombo, with Sri Lanka closing on 229 for 6 in their follow-on innings, leading India by just 16 runs as the match heads into a rain-threatened final day with all three results still possible. Following on 213 runs behind, Sri Lanka showed far greater resilience second time round. Pasindu Sooriyabandara continued his fine series with a battling 92 off 173 balls, sharing a crucial 115-run stand with Kamindu Mendis , who made a breezy 55 including three sixes. The pair looked to be steering Sri Lanka towards a healthy lead before Mendis fell attempting an aggressive shot, with captain Shubman Gill completing an excellent running catch near square leg, a wicket that swung momentum firmly back India's way. From there, India clawed their way back into the contest, picking up three wickets in the final session to keep Sri Lanka's lead in check. Manav Suthar (2/81) accounted for both Sooriyabandara and Dhananjaya de Silva, while Saransh Jain added the wicket of Niroshan Dickwella, lbw for just 6, leaving the hosts six down at the close. Sonal Dinusha remained unbeaten on 7, with Keshara Nuwantha keeping him company on 3 as bad light and then heavier rain forced an early end to proceedings, with play called off at 16:50 local time. India will resume the final morning needing just four more wickets to wrap up the match, with the second new ball due inside the first eight overs of day five. Rain is forecast to be a factor again on the final day, but there should still be sufficient playing time for a result if the weather cooperates. Having already sealed a 165-run win in the series opener at Galle, India remain firm favourites to close out both the Test and a 2-0 series sweep, though Sri Lanka's second-innings fight offers some hope of salvaging a draw.
Manchester City Complete Record £86m Signing of Teenager Ayyoub Bouaddi
Manchester City have completed the signing of 18-year-old midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille in a deal worth £86 million , making the Morocco international the most expensive teenage signing in Premier League history. City are paying a fixed fee of £81.3 million plus a further £4.3 million in potential add-ons for the highly-rated midfielder, who has signed a five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2031. The move surpasses the £58.9 million Manchester United paid Lille for Leny Yoro in 2024, underlining just how highly Bouaddi is regarded across Europe. Bouaddi made his Lille debut in October 2023, just three days after turning 16, and went on to make 88 appearances for the French club, helping them finish third in Ligue 1 last season. He further enhanced his reputation with a standout showing for Morocco at this year's World Cup, drawing particular praise for his performance against Brazil in the group stage. The teenager arrives at City as a direct response to Rodri's departure to Barcelona, with head coach Enzo Maresca overseeing a significant rebuild of his midfield options this summer, which has already included the club-record £116 million signing of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest. "Manchester City are, for me, the best club in the world," Bouaddi said following his move. "I grew up with Manchester City under Guardiola, and what he did was just amazing. I have spent most of my life working hard to become the best player I can be, and I know I still have plenty of improving to do. This club demands trophies, and I will give everything to make sure we are challenging for every title." Despite the marquee arrival, City remain in the market for further midfield reinforcement, with reports continuing to link the club with a move for Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez before the transfer window closes. For now, though, the capture of one of European football's most exciting young talents gives Maresca a genuine statement signing to build his new-look midfield around.
India Enforce Follow-On After Bowling Sri Lanka Out for 290 in Colombo
India enforced the follow-on against Sri Lanka on day four of the second Test in Colombo, after bowling the hosts out for 290 in reply to their mammoth first-innings total of 503 for 9 declared, a lead of 213 runs. Sri Lanka's innings was built around a defiant knock from Sonal Dinusha , who continued his remarkable run against India with a century, 103 off 162 balls , striking eight fours and three sixes to drag the hosts past the 200-run mark almost single-handedly. Pasindu Sooriyabandara also chipped in with a fighting 80, and the pair shared a 34-run stand for the sixth wicket, but Sri Lanka lost regular wickets around them, with the tail offering little resistance once Dinusha eventually fell to Saransh Jain, caught by KL Rahul. India's bowling was shared around effectively, with Prasidh Krishna (3/52), Manav Suthar (3/85) and Saransh Jain (2/69) doing the bulk of the damage, while Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj chipped in with a wicket apiece. With a lead well in excess of 200, captain Shubman Gill had little hesitation in sending Sri Lanka back out to bat again rather than enforce a batting effort of his own. Sri Lanka got off to a solid enough start second time round, reaching 4 without loss after three overs at the fall of play, with Kamil Mishara and Lahiru Udara at the crease. Having already gone 1-0 up in the series with a 165-run win in Galle, India are firmly in control of this Test too, with Sri Lanka needing something special across the remainder of the match to save the game and keep the series alive.
Leeds Beat Forest Again in Carabao Cup, Brentford Thrash Birmingham 6-1
Leeds United beat Nottingham Forest for the second time in four days, winning 2-0 in the Carabao Cup second round at the City Ground, while Brentford produced the night's standout scoreline with a 6-1 demolition of Championship side Birmingham City . Leeds followed up Saturday's 1-0 Premier League win at the same venue with another victory over Oliver Glasner's Forest, with Dan James breaking the deadlock in the 50th minute before a Neco Williams own goal sealed the tie. It continued a remarkable turnaround for Daniel Farke's side at the City Ground, a venue where Leeds had not won at all since 1972 before this week, and made Forest the only Premier League club eliminated on the night, with Glasner's tricky start in interim charge showing little sign of improving domestically. Brentford , fresh off their own eye-catching 3-0 win over big-spending Tottenham at the weekend, were similarly ruthless at St Andrew's. Callum Wilson opened the scoring just six minutes into his full debut for the club, and although Birmingham hit back through Demarai Gray to briefly level things, Brentford took total control before half-time through quickfire goals from Aaron Hickey and captain Nathan Collins . Mikkel Damsgaard added a fourth, before Collins completed his brace and Igor Thiago rounded off the rout to make it 6-1. Elsewhere on a busy night of Carabao Cup action, newly-promoted Hull City followed up their shock weekend win over Manchester United by edging past Stoke City 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, while League One side Peterborough pulled off the upset of the round, thrashing Championship outfit Watford 5-1 away at Vicarage Road. With the second round now largely complete, attention turns to the third-round draw as the competition heads towards its business end later in the season.
LASK Complete Stunning 5-4 Comeback Over Celtic as Sabah and Bodo/Glimt Also Qualify
The Champions League play-off second legs delivered one of the great European comeback nights, with LASK staging a stunning turnaround against Celtic , while Sabah and Bodo/Glimt both booked their places in the league phase for the first time and second time running respectively. The night's headline story came from Linz, where LASK beat Celtic 5-1 after extra time to complete an extraordinary 5-4 aggregate win, having trailed 3-0 from the first leg. Celtic looked to have the tie wrapped up when Callum McGregor's deflected effort extended their aggregate lead to four goals early on, but LASK responded with a three-goal salvo through Moses Usor, Robert Ljubicic and Samuel Adeniran to level the tie on the night, before a stoppage-time header from substitute Florian Flecker forced extra time. Adeniran struck again in the second period of extra time to complete the turnaround, sending Celtic crashing out of the competition and into the Europa League instead, in one of the most dramatic collapses in the Scottish club's European history. Sabah also required extra time to get the job done, beating Hapoel Be'er Sheva 5-2 to seal a 6-4 aggregate win and reach the Champions League league phase for the very first time in the Azerbaijani club's history. In Norway, Bodo/Glimt made home advantage count in more routine fashion, beating a 10-man NEC Nijmegen 3-0 through goals from Fredrik Andre Bjorkan, Sondre Auklend and a Deveron Fonville own goal, sealing a 6-1 aggregate triumph to reach the league phase for a second consecutive season. With three of the seven play-off ties now decided, the remaining four second legs take place on August 26 , before the Champions League league-phase draw is held on August 27 once all the qualifiers are confirmed. LASK, Sabah and Bodo/Glimt now await to discover their opponents in a revamped format that promises a fascinating group of newcomers alongside Europe's traditional heavyweights this season.
Sonal Dinusha Becomes Second Sri Lankan to Score 50-Plus in First Three Test Innings vs India
Sonal Dinusha continued his remarkable start to Test cricket against India, following up an unbeaten 84 in the second Test at Colombo with a fighting unbeaten 85 as Sri Lanka fought to save the follow-on. The knock made him just the second Sri Lankan batter in history , after Duleep Mendis , to record a fifty-plus score in each of his first three Test innings against India. Dinusha's series against India has been a story of consistent defiance in a tour otherwise dominated by the visitors. He began with a maiden Test century, 100 off 168 balls, in the first innings at Galle, followed that with 84 in the second innings of the same match, and has now added an unbeaten 85 in Colombo, walking in with Sri Lanka reeling at 137 for 5 against India's mammoth first-innings total of 503 for 9 declared. The left-hander showed patience and composure throughout his latest innings, using the sweep effectively against India's spinners while finding support from the tail. He shared a 57-run eighth-wicket stand with Keshara Nuwantha before adding a further 35 with Lahiru Kumara, ultimately helping Sri Lanka reach 265 for 8 at the close of day three, still 238 runs behind, before rain and fading light forced an early end to play. India's bowlers, led by Prasidh Krishna and Manav Suthar with three wickets apiece, continued to squeeze the innings throughout the day, but found Dinusha impossible to shift. With Sri Lanka needing to bat out the remainder of the match to avoid the follow-on and salvage something from the Test, the young all-rounder's growing reputation as India's chief tormentor on this tour continues to build.
Frattesi's Early Strike Gives Gattuso Winning Lazio Debut Against Bologna
Lazio made a winning start to the Gennaro Gattuso era, edging out Bologna 1-0 away at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara thanks to an early strike from summer signing Davide Frattesi , handing the new head coach his first competitive victory in charge. It took just four minutes for the breakthrough, as Boulaye Dia sent Frattesi through with a clever flick around the corner, and the Italy international made no mistake, finishing first-time past Lukasz Skorupski for his maiden goal in Lazio colours. It proved to be the only real moment of quality in an otherwise scrappy, tightly-contested affair at the Dall'Ara. Bologna, under new head coach Domenico Tedesco, had the ball in the net through Boulaye Dia's opposite number on the night, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside, and pushed hard for an equaliser throughout the second half. Roberto Piccoli, handed his first league start up front, went close on more than one occasion, while a well-worked move late on saw Dovbyk turn goalward off a deflection, only for goalkeeper Christos Mandas to produce a superb save with his legs to preserve the clean sheet and see out the win. The result erases the disappointment of Lazio's shock Coppa Italia exit at the hands of second-tier side Mantova last weekend, and gives Gattuso the perfect platform to build on as he begins life in Rome. For Bologna, the defeat means Tedesco is still searching for his first win in charge, with the club having now won just one of their last ten Serie A opening-round fixtures, and attention turning to a tricky away trip to Atalanta next.
Malen Hat-Trick, All Set Up by Dybala, Sends Roma Top With 4-0 Win Over Fiorentina
Roma opened their Serie A campaign in ruthless fashion, thrashing Fiorentina 4-0 at the Stadio Olimpico as Donyell Malen struck a hat-trick with every goal set up by Paulo Dybala , sending Gian Piero Gasperini's side top of the early standings. Roma broke the deadlock after 27 minutes when Dybala drove into the box and squared for Malen, who beat Dodo before squeezing a finish into the bottom corner. The Dutch forward doubled the lead seven minutes into the second half, again teed up by Dybala, before completing his hat-trick on the hour mark when Dybala burst into the box down the right and laid the ball on a plate. Substitute Niccolo Pisilli added a fourth late on, converting after a fortunate ricochet off Rolando Mandragora to round off a one-sided contest. It was the first hat-trick of assists for a single teammate in Serie A since Emanuel Vignato did so for Rodrigo Palacio in May 2021, fittingly also against Fiorentina. The performance underlined Roma's dominance throughout, with the hosts finishing with 61% possession, 17 shots to Fiorentina's nine, and 39 touches in the box compared to just four for the visitors. It capped a difficult opening-day experience for new Fiorentina head coach Fabio Grosso, who endured a tough Serie A managerial debut having replaced Paolo Vanoli over the summer, with the Viola offering little going forward beyond isolated moments from loanee Franco Mastantuono. The result extends Roma's fine recent form, with the club now unbeaten in their last six Serie A matches, scoring at least two goals in each and keeping five clean sheets over that stretch. Off the pitch, the club were also busy finalising a loan deal for Fenerbahce's Jayden Oosterwolde, continuing an active summer as Gasperini looks to build on last season's return to Champions League football.
Naveen-ul-Haq Returns to Afghanistan Squad for India T20I Series, Zadran Named Captain
Naveen-ul-Haq has returned to Afghanistan's T20I squad for the first time in almost two years, named in the 15-member group for the upcoming three-match series against India, which will mark Ibrahim Zadran's first assignment as the side's full-time T20I captain. The fast bowler last turned out for Afghanistan in December 2024, having missed the T20I series against West Indies and this year's T20 World Cup due to a stress fracture in his right shoulder. His return, after more than eight months on the sidelines, adds an important boost to Afghanistan's pace attack alongside Fazal Haq Farooqi, Abdullah Ahmadzai and Azmatullah Omarzai. Veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi also returns to the group, having sat out Afghanistan's recent ODI series against Ireland due to CPL commitments, while uncapped wicketkeeper-batter Noor Rahman earns a maiden call-up. Rashid Khan , who led the side through the T20 World Cup earlier this year, hands over the captaincy to Zadran but remains part of the squad as a frontline spinner, joined by Noor Ahmad and Mujeeb Ur Rahman to round out a strong spin-bowling department. The three-match series will be played at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in New Delhi on September 13, 15 and 17 , marking the first time Afghanistan will host India on Indian soil, continuing the arrangement that sees Afghanistan's "home" fixtures played in India or the UAE. It will be Afghanistan's first T20I series since their group-stage exit at this year's T20 World Cup. Afghanistan squad: Ibrahim Zadran (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Noor Rahman (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Naveen-ul-Haq.
Zimbabwe Name Squad for T20I Tri-Series Against South Africa and Namibia
Zimbabwe have named a 15-member squad for the T20I tri-series against hosts Namibia and South Africa , to be played in Windhoek from August 28 to September 6, with Sikandar Raza continuing as captain. The headline inclusion is veteran leg-spinner Graeme Cremer , who returns to the setup after recovering from a left-arm injury that had ruled him out of Zimbabwe's recent home series against Bangladesh and India. Uncapped pacer Kundai Matigimu , who has one Test appearance to his name, has also been included in the squad. Veteran batter Brendan Taylor misses out, with his last T20I appearance for Zimbabwe having come against Oman at the T20 World Cup earlier this year. Zimbabwe will, however, be without two key fast-bowling options. Richard Ngarava , the side's Test and ODI captain, continues his recovery from a lower-back injury, while Tanaka Chivanga remains out after undergoing surgery for an Achilles tendon injury sustained during a practice session. Zimbabwe open their campaign on August 28 against South Africa , before facing hosts Namibia on August 31. The tournament follows a double round-robin format, with each side facing the others twice before the top two teams meet in the final on September 6. South Africa have named a second-string squad for the tournament, led by Bjorn Fortuin, while Namibia will be captained by Gerhard Erasmus. Zimbabwe squad: Sikandar Raza (c), Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Graeme Cremer, Ben Curran, Brad Evans, Innocent Kaia, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Kundai Matigimu, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Newman Nyamhuri, Tafadzwa Tsiga.