Sports
Como make dream Champions League debut as Man United, Bayern cruise
Como enjoyed a dream Champions League debut Thursday as the Italian club trounced RB Leipzig 4-1 at home, but fellow new boys Sabah were crushed 4-0 at Manchester United.
Six-time winners Bayern Munich opened their group phase campaign with a 5-0 thrashing of Norway’s Bodo/Glimt while Fenerbahçe made their long-awaited return to the competition with a 1-1 draw at home with AS Roma.
Como’s first-ever qualification to Europe’s elite club competition meant a race against time to get their lakeside Stadio Sinigaglia home upgraded to meet UEFA guidelines.
Failure to do so would have meant playing their home games 200km away at the home of Sassuolo, but Cesc Fabregas’s side were spared that and celebrated in style.
Marti Baturina got the party started with a 15th-minute opener before Taso Douvikas doubled their lead.
Assane Diao made it 3-0 early in the second half before Andrija Maksimovic pulled one back for the visitors, but Maximo Perrone wrapped it up in stoppage time.
Azerbaijan champions Sabah did not even exist a decade ago, but after winning the domestic title they moved into the qualifying rounds and beat Israel’s Hapoel Beer-Sheva to proudly take their place in the group stage alongside Europe’s big guns.
A visit to Old Trafford for United’s return to the Champions League after a two-season absence proved a step too far, though, as they were rolled over by Michael Carrick’s side.
Matheus Cunha began the rout in the 27th minute before Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Sesko struck shortly before halftime. Lisandro Martinez added United’s fourth.
Bayern were frustrated before halftime by Bodo/Glimt but cruised once Jamal Musiala smashed in the opener two minutes after halftime and the floodgates opened.
Harry Kane headed the second on the hour – his 34th goal in 39 Champions League appearances for Bayern – and Alphonso Davies made it 3-0 with a powerful half-volley.
With Vincent Kompany’s side in full flow, Michael Olise completed the scoring with a superb late brace.
Roma took the lead in Istanbul in the 39th minute when Donyell Malen rolled a pass to Bryan Cristante, who beat Ederson with a bouncing finish. It was Cristante’s first goal in the Champions League proper, 15 years since making his debut in the competition as a 16-year-old for AC Milan.
Fenerbahçe, back in the Champions League after an 18-year absence, rallied through and equalized three minutes after halftime when Mason Greenwood slipped a pass through to Archie Brown, who clipped a finish over Mile Svilar.
The hosts almost won it late on when Nathan Ake headed against the Roma crossbar.
PSV Eindhoven avoided a sixth successive matchday one defeat in the competition as they drew 1-1 at home to Shakhtar Donetsk.
The Dutch club trailed at halftime after Gleiker Mendoza cut in from wide and sent a stunning low shot beyond the dive of Matej Kovar. However, Sergino Dest’s deft finish soon after the break ensured they began with a point.
Ten-man Slavia Prague suffered heartbreak at home to Lens as they conceded twice in stoppage time to lose 3-2.
Mikulas Konecny was sent off for the hosts just after halftime after a tackle was reviewed by VAR, but minutes later Danijel Sturm put the hosts ahead.
Abdallah Sima broke Slavia’s resistance with an equalizer, only for Sturm to send the home crowd into raptures with his second in the 88th minute.
Florian Thauvin struck in the 91st minute and there was still time for Lens to snatch victory with a pinpoint strike by Ruben Aguilar.
Kimi Antonelli said his mindset will remain unchanged heading into next week’s Mexico City Grand Prix, where he needs just two points to become the youngest world champion in Formula One history.
The 20-year-old Italian delivered a well-executed and dominant drive to claim his ninth victory this year for Mercedes in Sunday’s United States Grand Prix and move within reach of the title.
Antonelli is on the brink of smashing the previous record for youngest champion, held by Sebastian Vettel, who was 23 years and 133 days old when he won his first title in 2010
He is also set to become the first Italian to win the title since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
“The best way, the perfect way, would be to finish off in style and then just enjoy the rest of the season,” he said.
“I’m very aware that it’s very close but the mindset doesn’t change.
“I want to finish the season on a high in order to then go with high hopes into 2027. But we’ll first focus and worry about finishing this well, and then we’ll see.”
After Sunday’s triumph at the Circuit of the Americas he leads with 365 points ahead of nearest rival and team-mate George Russell on 242 and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari on 241.
He will be champion if he finishes in the top nine or, if he doesn’t score, Russell or Hamilton fail to win.
But on current form, after winning again for the first time in four races, he looks certain to take the title in his own happy, generous and infectious style.
“That was the perfect way to end the weekend,” he said.
“It was an incredible team effort, especially from strategy, to believe in me and go for one stop because I wasn’t sure whether one or two stop was the quickest,” he added.
“But I’m really happy that we made it stick. Today was a really important victory for me and for the team, especially after having a couple of difficult races, so being back on top feels very good.”
Antonelli’s ability on the track and infectious attitude off it have landed him numerous admirers around the paddock, including 1996 world champion Damon Hill.
“The team love him, he’s enjoying everything he’s got in F1 and he’s very grateful for all the breaks they’ve given him at Mercedes,” Hill said on the BBC.
“But he delivers. He’s such a nice kid. It’s incredible. Twenty years old and he’s on the verge of winning his first championship, which I’m sure will be the first of many.”
‘Rubbish’
Russell needed to finish in the top eight to remain notionally in the title race and he did indeed finish eighth after taking an early five-second penalty.
“My pace was just rubbish today. That’s the long and short of it,” he said.
“Of course, the five seconds didn’t help things and probably cost me two or three positions, but nevertheless, the pace was not good enough when it needed to be.”
Hamilton is the only other driver who still has a mathematical chance of catching Antonelli but the seven-time champion was left to rue missed opportunities in Sunday’s race.
“I felt the race was lost in my first two stints,” said Hamilton. “I lost so much time. I couldn’t turn the car in the lower speed corners particularly.”
“I was adjusting my settings and by the last stint I was closer to the right balance,” he said.
“I think I’ve lost a lot of points in the last five races or so and I think it’s really come from set-up or just not perfecting the set-up. It’s something I’ve really got to get on top of.”
Ever since Egyptian football star Mohamed Salah posted a photo of himself last month sitting on a small boulder in a remote highland more than an hour from the city of Trabzon in northeastern Türkiye, fans have flocked to the spot to pose in the same position.
The unlikely tourist attraction is not the only sign of the Salah-mania sweeping Türkiye since the Egyptian star signed with the Trabzonspor club in August after leaving England’s iconic Liverpool club.
His arrival came as a much-needed boost to Turkish football fans’ spirits, which had been dashed months earlier when Türkiye’s national team played in its first World Cup in 24 years only to exit the tournament without scoring any goals.
“God willing, we will win the championship title with him this year,” said Sinan Mor, who attended a match hosted by Trabzonspor Monday against Beşiktaş, one of Türkiye’s most popular football clubs, which was in talks to sign Salah before he went to Trabzonspor.
Mor wore a traditional thobe and a shemagh head wrap in the team’s colors with sunglasses that had “MO SALAH” written on them.
Ahead of the match, Associated Press journalists who visited the “Salah rock” counted 46 visitors within two hours.
“If you can bring a global superstar to one of the most remote highland villages in Trabzon, that means something to us,” said Mustafa Bektaş, a 44-year-old Trabzon supporter who traveled from Sakarya in western Türkiye for the game and made the trek to pose on the boulder.
In the city, Salah-themed merchandise and art have popped up everywhere. Muralist Yıldıray Yıldırım said he’s received multiple requests for Salah-themed murals outside local businesses after he painted an image of him wearing his Trabzonspor jersey on a wall outside a park.
On Google Maps, the club’s stadium is already marked as Mohamed Salah Camii – or mosque – in a nod to his fans’ almost religious fervor.
The move of a world record-breaking football star from the English Premier League to a lower-tier European league team would usually mark the twilight of their career.
But for Salah, transferring from Liverpool to Türkiye’s Trabzonspor at the age of 34 marked a new dawn.
Salah made a name as the third-highest goal scorer in Liverpool’s history and the world record holder for the most left-footed Premier League goals, but his latest campaign was disappointing. He scored only 12 goals, had a public falling out with coach Arne Slot and in March announced he would leave.
Since his transfer to Trabzonspor, fans and commentators say Salah rediscovered his scoring touch, with teammates who bolster his strengths and an entire city that is turning into a fan club.
Nearly all the seats in Trabzonspor’s stadium, with capacity for more than 41,000 people, were full Monday. The stands roared every time Salah touched the ball. In the 71st minute, Salah scored one of the goals that won his team the derby and made him the leading scorer in the Turkish Süper Lig.
The chants “Allah Allah Allah, Mohamed Salah” and “Trabzonlu (from Trabzon) Mohamed Salah” rose from the stands following the goal.
“He is a top player and a very good guy,” Nigerian defender Chibuike Nwaiwu, Trabzonspor’s center-back, told reporters. “He brings a lot of quality to the team.”
Representatives of Salah did not respond to requests for comment for this story.
Trabzon, a city of nearly a million people on Türkiye’s Black Sea coast, is known for its green valleys, steep hills, a Byzantine-era monastery and headstrong locals with punchy accents.
The local economy runs on agriculture and tourism but its team is the city’s crown jewel.
Trabzonspor’s social media accounts gained a million new followers after signing Salah, according to local news reports, and new direct flights were launched between Cairo and Trabzon in August, anticipating demand from Egyptian tourists.
Travel agent Ibrahim Eyüpoğlu said he has been selling packages with a ticket to a Trabzonspor match, a trip to the rock, and team merchandise.
“Before Salah, even derby games were played with empty stands. Now they’re always full,” he said.
Mustapha Sabbagh has been following Salah for 15 years from Lebanon. He signed up for the package and flew to Trabzon for two days. Then the 73-year-old jumped through a small river to sit on the “Salah rock.”
“Salah is the love of my heart. He has the magic touch,” Sabbagh said as he looked at his soaking-wet shoes and trousers with a big smile. “It’s worth it.”
Even Beşiktaş fans admitted their admiration. Salah’s talks with Beşiktaş collapsed over disagreements about his agent’s commission fee, according to Beşiktaş President Serdar Adalı.
“Unfortunately, I like his football a lot. The man is a star,” says Muhammed Mert Murat, 22, a Beşiktaş fan from Trabzon. He believes that Beşiktaş, which ranks fifth, just under Trabzon, would be leading Türkiye’s Süper Lig if Salah was playing for them.
Murat works in a tea shop next to a housing complex where locals believe Salah lives and dreams about asking him why he didn’t choose Beşiktaş.
Still, he acknowledged, “There is a beautiful love for him here.”
A Kylian Mbappe-inspired Real Madrid ended leaders Barcelona’s unbeaten La Liga run Sunday when the Frenchman scored twice to lead Jose Mourinho’s side to a 2-1 Clasico win.
French superstar Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring before halftime and then scored late to hand Barcelona its first domestic defeat of the season after Raphinha equalized for the champions.
Real Madrid remain third, just a point behind Atletico Madrid and three away from Hansi Flick’s Barcelona, which had won its first nine games before a difficult week.
The Catalans suffered a second straight defeat after losing Tuesday to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
Mourinho was pleased with his team’s performance in his first Clasico since returning to Madrid.
“My team had an extraordinary game, very organized, with good concentration and the courage to play out from the back against a team that presses heavily,” Mourinho told reporters.
“We had chances for a second goal … obviously Barcelona had a strong reaction but we were calm and organized and at 1-1 we never lost our composure.”
Barcelona had won six of seven previous Clasicos since Flick arrived but was subdued against Mourinho’s side.
“We lacked freshness,” Flick said of his team’s performance.
“It’s the first defeat in La Liga; we won nine in a row. This is what we have to see.”
“Defeats are a part of the game. We have to analyze, we have to make things better. Now it’s important that we react,” he added.
Los Blancos, without suspended winger Vinicius Junior, won their fifth straight game in all competitions and are finding their footing under veteran Portuguese coach Mourinho.
After two trophyless seasons, Madrid returned to Mourinho to try to stop Barcelona’s dominance and this result gives them hope that they are on the right track.
The opening minutes of the game were cagey, with few opportunities.
Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi twice reacted well to shut down Mbappe, while Real Madrid’s Marc Cucurella repeatedly grabbed the shirt of 19-year-old winger Lamine Yamal.
Anthony Gordon, playing in his first Clasico since joining Barcelona from Newcastle, back-heeled the ball to Raphinha, who fired narrowly wide as Barcelona threatened.
The hosts suffered a setback when young defender Xavi Espart suffered an injury and needed to be replaced by Alejandro Balde before the half-hour mark.
Andriy Lunin, playing in goal for Madrid after Thibaut Courtois withdrew from the squad with the flu, saved at his near post from Gordon before the visitors took the lead.
Mbappe scored his 10th league goal of the season after Barcelona’s Gerard Martin cleared a cross directly into the Frenchman, who deflected it into the net.
Barcelona responded by creating a chance for an equalizer, but teenage forward Yamal miscued in front of goal, shooting wide from close range.
The game opened up, and Yan Diomande came close to doubling Madrid’s lead before halftime, drilling into the side-netting.
Martin was effective early in the second half as he held off Jude Bellingham, who could neither beat the defender nor find a free Mbappe.
Raphinha, who had a quiet first half, equalized for Barcelona just after the hour mark.
Pedri fed the Brazilian, La Liga’s top goal-scorer with 13, who fired through Bellingham’s legs, and Lunin could not keep the shot out.
The Ukrainian goalkeeper made an excellent save to deny Martin at a corner as Barcelona pressed forward.
Yamal bent an effort wide with Lunin at full stretch, and Barcelona substitute Frenkie de Jong had a shot blocked by Dean Huijsen.
However, the Catalans were punished late when substitute Gabriel Jesus lost possession and Madrid raced through on goal.
Eduardo Camavinga beat Cubarsi and cut the ball back for Mbappe to tap in his second of the night into the net after Joan Garcia was drawn out of position.
It marked 100 goals since Mbappe joined Madrid from PSG in 2024.
“This is a good message today, but we can’t think the season is done. Next week at Racing Santander, we have to play with the same intensity,” Mbappe told Real Madrid TV.
World No. 1 Elena Rybakina won her fourth title of the season with a straight-set victory over Leylah Fernandez in the Ningbo Open final Sunday.
The top seed and defending champion won 6-2, 6-2 in 73 minutes against world No. 30 Fernandez of Canada.
The victory in Ningbo also helped the Kazakh to take a big step towards securing the year-end No. 1 ranking, further burnishing a spectacular season in which she won the Australian Open title before adding the U.S. Open crown to reach the summit.
“It’s amazing to play in front of you … it’s my second year here and my second win,” Rybakina told the crowd in the eastern Chinese city after collecting a tour-leading fourth title of the season and 15th overall.
“It’s such a special place for me. Thanks so much Ningbo.”
Rybakina’s latest triumph is a timely lift after setbacks in Beijing and Wuhan, as she turns her attention to the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo this week before she launches her title defense at the season finale in Indian Wells, California, from Nov. 8.
Trademark power
Top seed Rybakina made the breakthrough with her trademark power in the fifth game and then unleashed a searing cross-court backhand winner to go 4-2 up, before the 27-year-old wrapped up the opening set in 38 minutes.
Fernandez made a bright start to the next set but Rybakina absorbed the pressure and raised her level to force an error and break for 2-1, with the three-times Grand Slam champion breezing to victory from there.
Fernandez, who won the Singapore Open last month, remained upbeat despite a disappointing showing in the final and backed herself to finish the season strongly after a grueling run of matches in Ningbo.
“I’d like to congratulate Elena for a wonderful week and a wonderful year. Congratulations to you and your team,” the 24-year-old said, before addressing her own team.
“We’re having a good end of year. We’ve just got to keep going and keep working hard.”
Turkish football’s ultimate rivalry takes center stage Monday night as league leaders Galatasaray welcome archrivals Fenerbahçe for a blockbuster Süper Lig clash.
Galatasaray enter the high-stakes fixture riding high after a morale-boosting 4-2 UEFA Champions League victory away against French side Lille.
Domestically, the defending champions have turned RAMS Park into an impenetrable fortress, extending an astonishing 39-match unbeaten run at home in league play (31 wins, 8 draws). Their last domestic defeat on home soil came precisely against Fenerbahçe on May 19, 2024.
Okan Buruk’s side has mastered the art of late drama this season, securing 10 crucial points from goals scored in the dying minutes, including Victor Osimhen’s 90th-minute equalizer against Arca Çorum FK, Gabriel Sara’s 90+1st-minute winner against İstanbul Başakşehir, late heroics from Barış Alper Yılmaz and Mario Lemina against Kasımpaşa, and Deniz Gül’s 88th-minute winner last week against Gençlerbirliği. A victory on Monday would mark Buruk’s 120th league win at the helm of the Lions.
However, Galatasaray will have to cope without Portuguese star Rafael Leao, who is sidelined with a mild-to-moderate groin strain sustained in the win over Gençlerbirliği.
Fenerbahçe arrive in formidable domestic form under manager Ismail Kartal, riding a three-match league winning streak and boasting the Süper Lig’s most prolific attack with 22 goals.
The Yellow Canaries have kept clean sheets in each of their last four top-flight outings, outscoring opponents 14-0 across emphatic victories over Eyüpspor (8-0), Çaykur Rizespor (3-0), and Alanyaspor (3-0).
Despite their domestic surge, Fenerbahçe stumbled in Europe mid-week, letting a two-goal lead slip in a 2-2 Champions League home draw against Slavia Prague.
The visitors are also battling a heavy injury toll: Marco Asensio is sidelined following left knee cartilage surgery, Nathan Ake faces a three-week layoff with a hamstring injury, and Mert Müldür and Jayden Oosterwolde remain fitness concerns.
In-form striker Vedat Muriqi, who has netted seven league goals this campaign, is expected to lead Fenerbahçe’s attack.
Recent history favors hosts
History heavily favors the hosts in recent derbies. Fenerbahçe are winless in their last four league encounters against Galatasaray, suffering a 3-0 defeat in this exact fixture at RAMS Park in April.
Furthermore, Galatasaray’s talismanic Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen boasts an undefeated record against the Yellow Canaries across four league matches and one Turkish Cup fixture – highlighted by a two-goal performance in the 2024-25 cup quarterfinals.
With championship implications and fierce local pride on the line, the tie could be a early make-or-break moment in the season.
Entering the weekend, Galatasaray sit atop the standings with 19 points on the back of six wins, one draw and a defeat. Third-placed Fenerbahçe trail by three points with 16, having recorded five wins, a draw, and two losses.
The Intercontinental Derby, scheduled for a 09:30 p.m. kickoff, will be officiated by referee Atilla Karaoğlan.
Possible Lineups
Galatasaray
Uğurcan Çakır; Roland Sallai, Davinson Sanchez, Abdülkerim Bardakcı, Eren Elmalı; Lucas Torreira, Mario Lemina; Leroy Sane, Gabriel Sara, Barış Alper Yılmaz; Victor Osimhen.
Fenerbahçe
Ederson; Nelson Semedo, Milan Skriniar, Oppong, Levent Mercan; N’Golo Kante, Matteo Guendouzi; Oğuz Aydın, İrfan Can Kahveci, Mason Greenwood; Vedat Muriqi.
Lionel Messi received the 2026 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports on Friday, becoming the first footballer to win the prestigious Spanish honor individually in recognition of his extraordinary career and charitable work supporting disadvantaged children.
The 39-year-old Inter Miami forward collected the award from Princess Leonor, heir to the Spanish throne, during a ceremony at the Campoamor Theatre in Oviedo, attended by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia.
Fans wearing Argentina jerseys cheered and chanted Messi’s name as he arrived at the ceremony, accompanied by the sound of bagpipes and drums in the capital of the northern Spanish region of Asturias.
The award, announced June 3, recognizes Messi’s achievements on the field, his commitment to helping disadvantaged children access education and health care, and the values of humility, teamwork and fair play that have defined his career.
The jury praised the Argentine as “the most successful footballer of all time,” highlighting both his sporting accomplishments and his social work.
Presenting the award, Leonor praised Messi’s ability to read the game and make decisive choices under pressure, while putting the interests of his team ahead of individual glory.
“He turned the extraordinary into routine by reading the game and deciding on the most effective option in fractions of a second, while respecting the collective essence above ego,” she said.
Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers in history, has won eight Ballon d’Or awards, a World Cup with Argentina and dozens of major trophies at club level.
He spent 21 years at Barcelona, becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer and helping establish a dominant era in Spanish and European football under coaches Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique.
After leaving Barcelona in 2021, Messi spent two seasons at Paris Saint-Germain before moving to Inter Miami, where he continues to play in Major League Soccer.
His international career has also brought historic success. Argentina’s all-time leading scorer, assist provider and most-capped player, Messi captained his country to the 2022 World Cup title in Qatar, ending Argentina’s 36-year wait for the trophy.
Speaking at an event with children in Oviedo on Thursday, Messi stressed the importance of accepting both victory and defeat.
“The most important thing is to know how to lose and how to win,” he said, describing that attitude as fundamental to football.
The Princess of Asturias Award places Messi among a distinguished group of sporting figures recognized for their achievements and wider contributions to society.
Previous football recipients include former Barcelona teammate Xavi Hernandez and goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who shared the honor in 2012. Brazil’s national team received the award in 2002 after winning its fifth World Cup title.
Other past recipients of the sports award include tennis champions Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal, Kenyan marathon great Eliud Kipchoge and American skier Lindsey Vonn.
Established in 1981, the Princess of Asturias Awards recognize achievements across sports, the arts, science and other fields, with an emphasis on contributions to human coexistence, solidarity and international cooperation. Each award carries prize money of 50,000 euros, or about $56,000.
Messi was among several prominent figures honored at Friday’s ceremony. British author Julian Barnes, American astronaut Christina Koch and musician Patti Smith also received awards.
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