New Zealand staged an impressive first-half comeback before sweeping Australia aside 33-13 to secure a sweep in the Bledisloe Cup.

The teams traded blows in the first half, but the All Blacks soon found their groove after the break, as the Wallabies failed to find a way back into the contest.

Australia made a slow start last week, but they came out flying in Wellington with Fraser McReight getting an early try after seven minutes.

Anton Lienert-Brown soon crossed to get the All Blacks up and running, but Scott Barrett's missed conversion meant they could not draw level.

Noah Lolesio's two penalties on either side of Tupou Vaa'i's try kept Australia in control, at least until the stroke of half-time.

Caleb Clarke exploited a gap to cross under the posts, and Barrett kept his cool, adding the extras after the half-time siren to send New Zealand into the break 19-13 up.

Australia had no answers after that, with Tamaiti Williams and Clarke extending New Zealand's advantage as the Wallabies' fight fizzled out. 

Data Debrief: New Zealand take Wellington by storm

Despite their shaky start, New Zealand were able to continue their impressive run against Australia in Wellington. They have now gone six games (W5 D1) without defeat against Australia in the capital, having won only one of the five meetings before that (L4).

The All Blacks have also won their last nine in a row against the Wallabies, but bettered their previous two victories in which they only won by a three-point margin. 

It has been a sorry Rugby Championship for Australia, meanwhile, winning just one of their six matches, giving up 213 points and scoring just 107.

Paris Saint-Germain head coach Luis Enrique is relishing his side's Champions League tie with Arsenal next week after brushing aside Rennes on Friday. 

The Parisiens maintained their unbeaten start to the Ligue 1 season, with Bradley Barcola's brace and Lee Kang-In's header sealing the victory. 

PSG are now unbeaten in their first six matches of a league season for the third time in the last four campaigns (L1 in 2023-24), as many as in the previous six.

Luis Enrique's side have also scored at least three goals in five of their six Ligue 1 matches, two more than any other team in the top five European leagues. 

But the Parisiens' next assignment sees them travel to the Emirates next Tuesday to face Arsenal, having edged past Girona in their Champions League opener. 

The French side have played more games against the Gunners without winning (four) than against any other opponent in European competition. Still, Luis Enrique is confident his side can remain perfect in the competition. 

“It was a very complete match from the beginning, we had a lot of chances. We scored three goals, but we could have scored more," Luis Enrique told BeIN Sports.

"The Champions League? We are going to play against another favourite (in Arsenal), it will be a stimulating match, we will prepare ourselves.”

While Barcola's impressive display grabbed the headlines on Friday, Luis Enrique showered praise on striker Kang-In. 

The South Korean netted his third league goal of the season against Rennes, but the PSG head coach was also impressed with his defensive display. 

Kang-In created more chances (seven) than any other player for the hosts, while also winning seven duels, a total only bettered by Joao Neves (eight) for PSG. 

"He was in the right place to score the goal as a clever striker," Luis Enrique added.

"I really liked his performance, he gave us consistency, he held the ball up when we needed him to. 

"He is very intelligent with his pressing, he wins back a lot of balls and recovers well.

"I thought he was superb tonight, it’s a pleasure to have players with that level and mentality."

The Parisiens did, however, concede another goal in the league, with Arnaud Kalimuendo's late penalty proving to be a consolation for the visitors. 

PSG have managed just one clean sheet from their opening six Ligue 1 matches, but Luis Enrique insisted he was not concerned by his side's defending. 

"Football is not being fair to us," Luis Enrique concluded.

"Our opponents are creating very few chances against us, far fewer than last season, and they get there (to set pieces) and they score.

"They scored from a penalty today. We're not perfect and never will be."

Paulo Fonseca praised Milan for their convincing 3-0 win over Lecce but is still hoping for improvements as they prepare for a return to the Champions League.

The Serie A win was secured with three quick-fire goals before the break, with Alvaro Morata, Theo Hernandez and Christian Pulisic all scoring during a five-minute spell. 

After a slow start to life in Milan, things look to be clicking into place under Fonseca, as the team had 15 shots, six of which were on target, and finished strong despite Davide Bartesaghi's late red card.

They secured a hard-fought 2-1 win over Inter last weekend, and have now won each of their last three Serie A matches for the first time since April.

"Today it was too important to win, after the derby there is always a state of euphoria," Fonseca told DAZN.

"The players played a serious match, it wasn't all perfect, but we had good moments and chances, and we didn't concede goals, which is always important.

"This team has to learn to play this type of game, our positional play has to be different.

"During the break, we talked about many details that need to be improved. We have to wait for the right moment, understand where the space is. It's important to improve this, the team has to learn to play like this... In the second half, we did better."

Fonseca chose to start with Tammy Abraham and Morata up front, with the latter scoring his second goal for the team.

"It was both a tactical [choice] and for their aggressiveness," Fonseca said.

"Morata's characteristics allow me to have him play this role of attacking midfielder, between the lines. With a forward like [Erling] Haaland you couldn't do it.

"Then I really like the energy they both bring, it's contagious for the team. Now I also see [Rafael] Leao working harder, also because he follows their example."

Milan travel to German champions Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday after opening the tournament with a 3-1 home defeat to Liverpool earlier this month.

"We immediately found the two teams that play better at the moment in Europe," Fonseca added.

"First Liverpool, now Leverkusen, who are the same as last year [or] maybe even better. We know it will be difficult."

The red-hot Detroit Tigers earned an AL wild card berth on Friday night, ending a decade-long postseason drought with a 4-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

The Tigers have been on a tear, winning six straight and 10 of 11 to surge into the playoffs and eliminate the defending AL Central champion Minnesota Twins from the race.

Since Aug. 11, when Detroit was eight games under .500 and counted out of contention, it has been the hottest team in the majors with 31 wins in 42 games with the lowest ERA in baseball and the largest run differential.

The Tigers will play AL Central champion Houston or Baltimore next week in a best-of-three Wild Card Series, most likely on the road.

The White Sox, meanwhile, set a modern major league record with their 121st loss. They broke the post-1900 record of 120 losses set by the New York Mets in 1962 during their first season. The overall record was set in 1899 by the Cleveland Spiders with a 20-134 record.

Taking advantage of playing a historically bad team, Detroit broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning. Jake Rogers scored when Jared Shuster was charged with a wild pitch even though the ball didn’t hit the dirt just below catcher Korey Lee’s glove.

Riley Greene put Detroit ahead 3-1 with a double in the seventh, and Chicago helped the home team’s cause again later in the inning when Fraser Ellard threw the team’s third wild pitch of the night.

Royals clinch playoff berth despite loss

Max Fried pitched three-hit ball over 8 2/3 innings to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 3-0 victory over Kansas City, but the Royals still got a chance to celebrate their first postseason berth since 2015.

Sean Murphy hit a two-run homer and Marcell Ozuna trotted home on a throwing error after his first stolen base since 2022 for the Braves, who won their fourth straight and sixth in seven games.

Atlanta moved into a tie with the Mets in the NL wild-card race when New York lost 8-4 at Milwaukee.

Despite the loss, the Royals, who matched a franchise record with 106 losses last season, clinched a wild card when Baltimore beat Minnesota 7-2. This is their first playoff appearance since winning the 2015 World Series.

Fried came within one out of a shutout, giving way to Raisel Iglesias when the Royals put runners at second and third. Iglesias retired Salvador Perez on a flyout for his 33rd save.

Fried threw 98 pitches, 63 for strikes. He walked two and struck out nine.

Padres beat Diamondbacks to secure top wild card

Luis Arraez hit two doubles and a triple, Yu Darvish pitched 5 1/3 gritty innings and the San Diego Padres used a four-run first inning to beat the sliding Arizona Diamondbacks 5-3.

The Padres secured the No. 4 spot in the National League bracket, meaning they'll host a best-of-three Wild Card Series next week in San Diego.

As for the Diamondbacks (88-72), they sit just behind the Mets (87-71) and Braves (87-71) in a tight race for the final two NL wild cards. The D-backs - who have lost four of five - have a slightly lower winning percentage.

Atlanta and New York have played two fewer games because Hurricane Helene washed out two games of their crucial series earlier this week. The teams would play a doubleheader Monday in Atlanta if playoff positioning is still undecided.

The Mets and Braves hold tiebreakers over the Diamondbacks should they finish with the same record. Arizona lost the season series to both teams.

The Padres never trailed, jumping to a 4-0 lead in the first inning after Merrill Kelly gave up four hits, one walk and a hit by pitch.

In a franchise-altering trade, the New York Knicks are close to acquiring four-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves for a package centered around Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, according to reports on Friday night.

Minnesota would also get a protected first-round pick from the Knicks that originally belonged to the Detroit Pistons.

The deal is expected to be finalised Friday night, sources said.

Because the Knicks and Timberwolves are both operating over the luxury tax apron, more players and possibly a third team must be involved.

Towns previously played under current Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau from 2016-2019 and has been linked to New York ever since Leon Rose took over the front office in March 2020.

Towns, who grew up in nearby New Jersey, will pair with star guard Jalen Brunson to give New York one of the best inside-outside combinations in the league.

This would be the second major addition this offseason for the Knicks, who acquired forward Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets in July.

Towns has spent all nine of his NBA seasons with Minnesota and helped the Wolves reach the Western Conference finals this past season following a 56-26 regular season.

He averaged 21.8 points and 8.3 rebounds this past season and has averaged 22.9 points and 10.8 rebounds for his career.

Randle was a three-time All-Star with the Knicks as their starting power forward, a Most Improved Player winner and a two-time All-NBA selection.

He did not play in the playoffs after dislocating his shoulder on January 27, and after two months of rehab, opted to undergo season-ending right shoulder surgery in April.

DiVincenzo averaged a career-best 15.5 points last season for the Knicks and ranked third with 283 3-pointers made, trailing only Stephen Curry and Luka Dončić.

England showed their power with the bat and ball as they levelled their ODI series with a 186-run thumping of Australia in a rain-delayed match at Lord's.

Harry Brook, Ben Duckett and a blistering batting display from Liam Livingstone sent England on their way before Matthew Potts starred with the ball in hand. 

After a relatively quiet start to the top order that saw Phil Salt (22) and Will Jacks (10) fall early, Brook quickly found his rhythm, cruising to a 37-ball half-century. 

Duckett's 63 runs from 62 deliveries, coupled with Brook (87), saw England take control, but the pair were dismissed within eight overs of each other. 

However, a late onslaught ensued when Livingstone was welcomed to the crease, notching an unbeaten 62 runs from 27 deliveries, a knock that included seven sixes, four of which came as he took 28 off the last over of the innings from Mitchell Starc.

With England ending on 312-5, Australia started their chase strongly, but the wickets of Mitchell Marsh (28), Travis Head (34) and Steve Smith (five) within four overs started the tourists' collapse. 

Australia crumbled from 68-0 to 126 all out in 24.4 overs, with Potts (4-38) doing most of the damage, with Adil Rashid (1-11) sealing the win with the wicket of Josh Hazlewood to force a decider in Bristol on Sunday. 

Data Debrief: Livingstone leads comeback

In a game that saw a number of standout performers, Livingstone's display with the bat broke ODI records for matches at Lord's. 

The Lancashire spin bowler's 25-ball half-century was the fastest seen at Lord's, while England's 12 sixes is a new record in an ODI encounter at the home of cricket. 

The triumph also saw England produce their second-highest winning margin against Australia when batting first in the ODI's, with their 242-run victory at Trent Bridge in 2018 the only game they have won by a larger gap. 

South Africa eased to an eight-wicket triumph over Ireland in the first match of their T20I series, with Patrick Kruger and Ryan Rickelton starring for the Proteas. 

Kruger's four-wicket haul saw Ireland manage 171 from their overs, with Rickleton's knock of 76 from 48 deliveries giving his side a solid foundation to build on. 

The Proteas started strongly as Ross Adair (18), Paul Stirling (two) and Harry Tector (16) fell inside the first six overs through deliveries from Ottniel Baartman (1-36), Wiaan Mulder (1-15) and Bjorn Fortuin (1-28). 

Curtis Campher's 49 attempted to steady the ship for Ireland, only for Kruger (4-27) to rip through their middle order, giving his side a manageable target to reach. 

South Africa's opening partnership of Reeza Hendricks (51) and Rickelton set the early tone, with the Proteas going 136 runs without loss until Hendricks was dismissed by Craig Young (1-25). 

Rickelton's time at the crease came to an end in the following over, but Matthew Breetzke (19) and Aiden Markram (17) were able to guide South Africa home to take a 1-0 series lead ahead of the second T20I on Sunday. 

Data Debrief: Rickelton rises to the occasion

Rickelton's knock of 76 was his maiden half-century for the Proteas in T20I's, notching nine boundaries (six sixes and three fours) during his 70-minute stint. 

The 28-year-old saw his time at the crease ended by Adair, but left the field at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium with an impressive strike rate of 158.33. 

Mikel Arteta insists the title fight between Arsenal and Manchester City will not affect his relationship with Pep Guardiola.

The sides played out a dramatic 2-2 draw in the Premier League last Sunday, with City snatching a last-gasp equaliser after 10-man Arsenal had staunchly defended throughout the second half.

Leandro Trossard was dismissed at the end of the first half, receiving a second yellow card for kicking the ball away, and Arsenal were accused of using the "dark arts" in their attempts to come away with three points.

The Gunners spent a total of nine minutes and four seconds on their goal-kicks in Sunday's match – the most by any team in a Premier League game this season.

Meanwhile, the average delay at Arsenal restarts (goal-kicks, throw-ins and free-kicks) was 42.7 seconds, with only Aston Villa versus Wolves (47.3) taking longer this term.

Multiple City players have since criticised the tactics, with arguments also taking place on the pitch, but Arteta says his friendship with Guardiola would not suffer because of any on-pitch disagreements.

"I love him [Guardiola]. I respect him and admire him. I admire his team and everything he does," Arteta said.

"This is sport. One thing is our professional, another is my personal relationship. If that has to be damaged because we play against each other, then I wouldn't talk to him anymore!

"That's not the relationship I consider both of us have. Sport will never get in my way for a personal relationship, for sure."

Asked if the accusations aimed at Arsenal could affect it, Arteta added: "It depends. If it's true, but if it's not, and you show your integrity, do what you think is right, it doesn't have to.

"It's opinions. If you don't like them, you shouldn't be sitting where I am.

"It's simple, don't take it personally, make sure you handle the things you care about in the right way, and I really care about that relationship. It's the same as a lot of staff and players I've spent very important years of my life working with."

Arsenal are back in action against Leicester City in the Premier League on Saturday. 

Ange Postecoglou believes Erik ten Hag has done a "fantastic job" at Manchester United ahead of Tottenham's visit to Old Trafford this Sunday. 

Ten Hag, who has won the EFL Cup and FA Cup during his tenure with the Red Devils, has been the focus of criticism for a lack of identity in his time at the helm. 

The Dutchman led United to their worst-ever Premier League finish last term, along with conceding 58 goals - the most they have let in during their time in the top flight. 

But Postecoglou, along with his opposite number, has endured a difficult start to the campaign, with Spurs 10th in the early-season standings with seven points. 

The Spurs head coach has come under fire for his team's slow start, having previously said that he "always win trophies in his second season."

And the Australian's upcoming assignment is no easy task against a side Tottenham have historically struggled against at Old Trafford. 

United have won 24 Premier League home games against Spurs – only Arsenal have beaten a team more often at home in the competition’s history (25 vs Everton).

Postecoglou has also seen his side fail to perform away from home, despite having taken 14 points from his first six Premier League away games in charge. 

Since, Spurs have managed to take 14 points from 15 games away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (three wins, five draws and seven defeats). 

Among ever-present Premier League teams across the last two seasons, no side has won fewer away games since the start of November 2023 than Spurs' three. 

Bournemouth (24), Nottingham Forest (19) and Crystal Palace (15) are among the clubs to better their 14 away points won in that span. 

A result for either side could kickstart their respective seasons, but Postecoglou showered praise on Ten Hag ahead of kick-off this Sunday. 

"There’s always some manager under pressure," Postecoglou said. 

"There must be a spinning board with all our faces on and whichever it lands on cops it for a week or two.

"He’s done a great job. He keeps mentioning he’s won two trophies and that’s not insignificant.

"Everyone keeps saying that is all I need to do but then there is always something expected after. It is a difficult job.

"It is tough to go to Old Trafford. Irrespective of managers, it is still a rather compelling home record. It is one we will be ready for."

Coco Gauff prevailed in her opening match at the China Open, beating Clara Burel in straight sets on Friday to reach the third round.

Playing in her first match since her US Open fourth-round exit, Gauff held off the Frenchwoman's challenge, winning 7-5 6-3 in 102 minutes.

The pair traded breaks early in the contest before Burel pulled in front and looked sure to take the first set.

Gauff pushed back though, saving a set point at 5-4 before eventually edging in front with her fourth break of the set.

It was slightly more straightforward in the second, with Gauff's patience eventually rewarded as a three-game winning streak at the end of the match sealed the victory, setting up a meeting with Katie Boulter in the next round. 

Data Debrief: Hard court advantage

With this victory, Gauff has now won 46 matches at WTA-1000 hard-court events, equalling Caroline Wozniacki for the most such wins before turning 21 since the format was introduced in 2009 (46).

It also marks Gauff's 30th straight win over a player ranked outside the top 50, with her last such defeat coming 15 months ago in the first round of Wimbledon 2023 against Sofia Kenin. 

Barcelona boss Hansi Flick will rely on his experienced players as the Blaugrana navigate an injury crisis early on in his first campaign at the helm.

A perfect seven wins from as many matches in LaLiga this season means Barca could match the best start in their league history on Saturday, when they visit Osasuna.

Only once have Barca won their first eight matches to start a league campaign, doing so in 2013-14 under Gerardo Martino but ultimately finishing second to Atletico Madrid that season.

Flick's impressive start at Camp Nou has come despite injuries biting at his squad, with goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen the latest casualty as he underwent knee surgery this week.

He has joined Dani Olmo, Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Ronald Araujo, Fermin Lopez and Andreas Christensen in the treatment room, while Inigo Martinez is doubtful after suffering an injury against Getafe on Wednesday.

De Jong and Gavi are closing in on returns, but Flick is confident in his team's ability to cope in their absence.  

"This is about quality of the players. They are very well prepared and train with so much passion and mentality," Flick said. "Evidently, as we did before, there will be some rotations.

"But also it's important the experienced players are with us, like Raphinha and [Robert] Lewandowski. Inigo received a blow, so we will see how that is.

"From what I see in training, [De Jong] is in good shape, also Gavi picking up the pace. 

"Frenkie is very close to returning. Tomorrow he will have a rest because he needs it, he trained a lot."

The return of De Jong, who last played in April, could be a major boost for Barcelona as they brace for a tough October, when they host Bayern Munich in the Champions League three days before visiting Real Madrid in LaLiga.

"De Jong is an experienced player and he can help us greatly, even if he plays 20 minutes, but we will see what happens next week," Flick said.

Flick was also asked what it would mean to equal Barca's best start to a season, but the German is focused purely on the task of overcoming Osasuna.

"It's always great to win though we aren't focusing on the record," he said.

"From 11 points, Osasuna have won 10 points at home, where the crowd really gets behind them and I like that atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Barca have been banned from selling tickets for their next Champions League away game, at Red Star Belgrade on November 6, after their supporters were found guilty of racist behaviour during their match against Monaco.