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■NETHERLANDS

Twente win and go top

Blaise Nkufo scored a 64th-minute goal to earn Steve McClaren’s Twente Enschede a 1-0 win at ADO Den Haag, a win that put them top of the Dutch league on Saturday. The Englishman guided Twente to second place last season, but has already suffered disappointment this season after Twente were eliminated in Champions League qualification by Portugal’s Sporting. Ronald Koeman’s AZ Alkmaar, last season’s surprise champions, thrashed newcomers RKC Waalwijk 6-0, with Maarten Martens netting twice. Mounir El Hamdaoui opened the scoring after 15 minutes. Belgian international Dembele doubled the lead early in the second half, before an own-goal by Hans Mulder made it 3-0. Martens’ double and Jeremain Lens completed the rout for Alkmaar, who are fourth. Sparta Rotterdam collected their first win by beating Willem II Tilburg 2-1.



■SCOTLAND

Rangers put four past Falkirk

Rangers opened the defense of their Scottish Premier League title on Saturday with a 4-1 win over visiting Falkirk. Falkirk equalized after Lee McCulloch put the home side ahead in the 14th minute, but Kenny Miller struck twice and Steven Naismith rounded off the scoring with seven minutes left to give Rangers a convincing victory. Celtic began their attempt to regain the title from their fiercest rivals with a 3-1 win at Aberdeen. Aiden McGeady scored twice, before Scott McDonald, last season’s leading scorer for the Bhoys, made it 3-0 at halftime. Also on Saturday, Hibernian beat St Mirren 2-1, Kilmarnock beat Hamilton 3-0 and St Johnstone drew 2-2 with visiting Motherwell.



■SPAIN

Messi to skip first game

Lionel Messi will be allowed to skip Barcelona’s first game of the league season to join up with Argentina for their World Cup qualifier against Brazil, coach Pep Guardiola said on Saturday. Barcelona’s La Liga opener at home to Sporting Gijon has been moved to Monday Aug. 31, because the European Super Cup against Shakhtar Donetsk is on Aug. 28. If Messi had played, he would have been late to join Argentina’s preparations for their home match against the South American group leaders on Sept. 5.



■PORTUGAL

Sporting held by Nacional

Sporting started the Portuguese season with a disappointing 1-1 draw at Nacional on Saturday. Joao Aurelio scored from a Nacional counterattack in the 27th minute, but then leveled it with an own-goal in the 75th minute to allow Sporting to leave the Madeira Stadium with a point. Sporting coach Paulo Bento left Ecuadorean striker Felipe Caicedo, the club’s top off-season signing, off the team sheet. Albert Meyong Ze’s 87th-minute goal allowed Braga to beat Academica 1-0. Academica’s Paulo Sergio was sent off in the 90th minute after picking up a second yellow card. Leixoes and Belenenses officially opened the new season on Friday by playing out a 0-0 draw.



■ITALY

Fans to get special ID cards

Fans in Italy will have to obtain a special supporters card from their club to see their team play away from home next year. The government believes the initiative will make it easier to police matches and track down troublemakers, as part of their bid to combat hooliganism in Italian soccer. Authorities already employ a range of measures to prevent trouble, including bans on away fans at high-risk games.


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