■ITALY
Lazio rally to down Juve
Lazio came from behind to beat Juventus 2-1 at home in the first leg of their Italian Cup semi-final on Tuesday thanks to second-half goals by Goran Pandev and Tommaso Rocchi. Macedonia striker Pandev controlled a rebounded Stephan Lichtsteiner shot, before spinning around and finding the far corner of the net on 65 minutes. Rocchi then sprinted onto a though ball and slid in to fire home and give the Rome side a precious advantage 12 minutes from time. Midfielder Marco Marchionni had put Juventus in front in the 34th minute, intercepting a loose clearance and driving in with the help of a deflection. The visitors made the brighter start and striker Vincenzo Iaquinta had a goal disallowed for offside early on, although TV replays suggested he was in line with the last defender. Lazio responded well and Juve keeper Alex Manninger, standing in for the rested Gianluigi Buffon, did well to repel a diagonal Rocchi shot and a Cristian Ledesma free-kick later in the first half. The hosts keep pressing hard after Pandev’s goal and Pasquale Foggia forced two more good saves from Manninger before Rocchi scored the deserved winner.
■GERMANY
Mainz stun Schalke
Second-division Mainz got a goal from Aristide Bance in the 88th minute to beat Schalke 04 1-0 and reach the semi-finals of the German Cup for the first time on Tuesday. Bance sneaked behind Schalke’s defense to meet a long free-kick and slotted the ball home unopposed from close range. Mainz, the second-placed team in the second division, sent Schalke deeper into troubled water. Fred Routen’s team were third last season in the Bundesliga, but they have been unable to challenge for the title and are stuck in eighth place. Tuesday’s loss meant Schalke are out of the running for any title. “It was a really dumb goal to concede,” Schalke manager Andreas Mueller said.
■FRANCE
Guingamp defeat Le Mans
Bakary Kone scored a late winner as Ligue 2 side En Avant Guingamp defeated top flight Le Mans 1-0 to reach the quarter-finals of the French Cup on Tuesday. Kone got the clinching goal in the 83rd minute. A Xavier Pentecote double earned Toulouse a 2-0 win at Ligue 2 side Boulogne-sur-Mer. Pentecote, who has featured in only three Ligue 1 games this season, opened the scoring four minutes before the break when he latched onto an Alexandre Bonnet cross. The 22-year-old striker grabbed his second on 62 minutes by beating Boulogne keeper Florian Bague from close range. Grenoble went through after winning a penalty shootout 4-2 at Ligue 2 side Dijon following a 1-1 draw. Defender Stephane Morisot’s 15th-minute opener for the home side was canceled out three minutes later by Grenoble striker Nassim Akrour.
■SERBIA
Platini rejects Kosovo
UEFA president Michel Platini said on Tuesday that Kosovo could not join the organization until it was recognized by the UN. “The situation is very simple: UEFA, FIFA do not go in for politics ... the only thing UEFA can do at the present is to respect the statutes of UEFA and the statutes clearly say that to be affiliated with UEFA it is necessary to be recognized by the United Nations,” Platini told reporters in Belgrade. Kosovo, which unilaterally declared independence from Serbia a year ago, has been recognized by more than 50 countries, including the US and most of the EU.
Taiwan’s top women’s badminton doubles duo, Hsieh Pei-shan (謝沛珊) and Hung En-tzu (洪恩慈), achieved a straight-sets victory over Japan’s Kaho Osawa and Mayui Tanabe at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 300 Macau Open on Sunday. The Taiwanese pair won the final 21-18, 21-12, marking the duo’s second title this year after their win at the BWF Super 300 Taipei Open in May. The match on Sunday was their first encounter with the Japanese duo, ranked No. 63 in the world. Hsieh and Hung, ranked No. 12, began the opening game well. Hung, who plays left-handed, performed strongly at both the net and the
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today ... It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults on Saturday after having 23 in
Jobe Bellingham on Tuesday admitted to having “anxieties” on following in brother Jude’s footsteps after joining Borussia Dortmund in the summer. Jobe Bellingham, 19, is two years younger than Jude Bellingham, who joined Real Madrid in 2023 after three years at Dortmund. A centerpiece of the England national team, Jude Bellingham has emerged as one of the best players in the world in recent seasons. The younger Jobe Bellingham joined Dortmund in June from Sunderland after their promotion to the English Premier League. He admitted he understood what the perception would be ahead of the move to Germany. “It’s something you do think about.
Before Tuesday’s 7-2 win at the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy suggested “most people couldn’t tell you five players on our team.” A look at the standings would indicate more Brewers players soon will be recognized by more fans. After all, it is difficult to overlook a team that not only continues to extend their lead in the National League Central, but also boasts the best record in the majors. “What we’re doing in here right now is special,” right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta said after allowing only four hits and one run in five innings, while setting a career high with
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