■GREECE
Greens beat PAOK 4-1
Panathinaikos beat PAOK 4-1 in the league playoffs for European competition on Sunday, moving closer to a place in the Champions League qualifiers. Giorgos Karagounis, Brazilian defender Gabriel, Dimitris Salpingidis and Antonis Petropoulos scored for Panathinaikos, while Ilias Anastasakos notched PAOK’s consolation goal. The win, combined with a 0-0 draw for AEK at Larissa, brought Panathinaikos closer to winning the four-team playoffs and gaining a berth in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League. Two other teams will play in the second-tier Europa League. After five rounds, Panathinaikos leads with 15 points, followed by AEK with 12, PAOK with six and Larissa with one.
■BELGIUM
Liege retain title
Standard Liege retained the title on Sunday with a 1-0 win over Anderlecht in a playoff decider that guaranteed them a spot in the group phase of next season’s Champions League. Liege’s Axel Witsel scored a decisive penalty five minutes before halftime after Anderlecht’s Victor Bernardez was adjudged to have brought down Dieumerci Mbokani. The two teams finished the season level on 77 points last weekend to force a playoff as the title cannot be won on goal difference. Thursday’s first leg at Anderlecht ended 1-1. Liege dethroned Brussels-based Anderlecht last term to claim their first Belgian first division crown in 25 years. They have now taken their overall tally to 10. Anderlecht will go into the third qualifying round of the competition. Third-placed Club Bruges and Ghent, who came fourth, will play in the Europa League along with cup winners Racing Genk.
■DENMARK
Copenhagen win No. 7
FC Copenhagen won their seventh title on Sunday following a 1-0 victory at Esbjerg with one game remaining in the premiership season. Copenhagen won thanks to a late first-half penalty by Brazilian Cesar Santin that took them to 73 points. Runners-up Brondby lost 1-0 at Aarhus to stay on 68 points before the final round of matches next week. Copenhagen will enter next season’s Champions League qualification second round. The win completed Copenhagen’s second double in five years after they won the Danish Cup final on Thursday, 1-0 against Aalborg.
■EGYPT
‘Red Devils’ take title
An early Flavio Amado goal gave Al-Ahly a 1-0 victory over Ismailia Sunday in the championship play-off. It was the fifth consecutive title for the Cairo “Red Devils” and a fitting farewell to Portuguese coach Manuel Jose, who takes charge of next year’s African Nations Cup hosts Angola next month. Ironically, the goal was created and executed by Angolans with diminutive Flavio rising above “minder” Moatassem Salem to steer a Felisberto “Gilberto” Amaral free kick past goalkeeper Mohamed Sobhi.
■BRAZIL
Clash leaves 30 injured
A clash between fans before a league match left about 30 people injured and 158 were detained. Authorities said fans used bricks, stones and pieces of wood in the brief confrontation before the scoreless draw between Palmeiras and Sao Paulo at Palestra Italia stadium on Sunday. Police officer Adelino Sobrinho said that about 400 fans participated in the violence, which was organized by fans from both teams in online communities. All injuries were minor and most of those detained were released after they were questioned.
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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