Marcus Thuram scored a stoppage-time winner as Inter snatched a dramatic 1-0 victory against Young Boys.
The France forward climbed off the bench to turn home Federico Dimarco's 93rd-minute cross, and maintain the Nerazzurri's unbeaten start in this season's Champions League.
Young Boys were seeking their first point in the competition and created the better first-half opportunities, with Yann Sommer forced to deny Jaouen Hadjam and Lukasz Lakomy.
However, Inter were awarded a penalty within seconds of the restart when Hadjam was adjudged to have pushed Denzel Dumfries in the box, but David von Ballmoos guessed correctly to deny Marko Arnautovic.
The hosts then struck the woodwork just after the hour mark, with Joel Monteiro stealing possession before rattling Sommer's left post.
A stalemate appeared the likely outcome until the third minute of stoppage time, when Thuram struck to take Inter onto seven points from their opening three games.
Data Debrief: Late, late show from Inter, despite missed penalty
Despite opening with three successive Champions League clean sheets for the first time, it looked like it would be a frustrating day for Inter after Arnautovic's saved penalty.
It was the first time in five years that the Nerazzurri had failed to convert from 12 yards in the Champions League, since Lautaro Martinez was unsuccessful against Borussia Dortmund in October 2019.
However, they claimed all three points courtesy of their first ever winning goal scored in the 90th minute or later of a Champions League away game.
Timed at 92 minutes and 11 seconds, it was also the latest goal conceded in the competition by Young Boys, who have now failed to score in three successive matches for the first time.
Erling Haaland scored an audacious back-heel among two goals as Manchester City cruised past Sparta Prague 5-0 on Wednesday to extend their unbeaten run in the Champions League to a record 26 matches.
Phil Foden, John Stones and Matheus Nunes also scored for Pep Guardiola's side, who have not lost in Europe's elite club competition since the 2021-22 season and have seven points from three games this season.
City are third in the 36-team league phase, set on their way at the Etihad Stadium by Foden's third-minute opener.
Although that was the only goal of a one-sided first half, Haaland had the City fans on their feet before the hour mark, meeting Savinho's cross on the volley with a stunning flick to double City's lead.
Stones quickly made it three with a header from a cross from Nunes, who also teed up Haaland's second before getting the fifth goal himself.
With Haaland substituted and denied a hat-trick, despite attempting nine shots, Nunes converted an 88th-minute penalty to complete the scoring.
Data Debrief: City still unbeaten with hit man Haaland
Although City exited last season's Champions League with a semi-final penalty shoot-out defeat to Real Madrid, they are now unbeaten in 26 consecutive European Cup matches. That is the longest such sequence in competition history, surpassing Manchester United's 25 between 2007 and 2009, and coincides with Haaland's 2022 move to Manchester.
The City number nine has played in 23 of those 26 matches, scoring 21 goals. Only Ruud van Nistelrooy for rivals United has netted 20 Champions League goals for one club in fewer matches, doing so in 21 appearances.
Haaland will surely soon pass Van Nistelrooy's 60 career Champions League goals. His 44, including goals for Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund, have already matched Didier Drogba's total at the age of 24.
Barcelona captain Raphinha scored a hat-trick to lead his side to a commanding 4-1 home victory over Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The win for Barca at their temporary Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys home ends a near decade-long winless run against the German powerhouses.
Raphinha's inspired night started when he gave Barca the lead a little over a minute after kick-off as he received a fine pass through by midfielder Fermin Lopez, beat the offside trap and rounded the onrushing Manuel Neuer to tap into the empty net.
Harry Kane leveled the score with a volley in the 18th minute, only for Robert Lewandowski to put the home team back in front in the 36th minute against his former side after a mistake by Bayern's defence.
Raphinha then extended Barca's lead with two goals from quick counter-attacks either side of half-time.
Barca are ninth in the Champions League standings on six points from three games, while Bayern are 23rd on three points after a second consecutive defeat.
Data Debrief: Bayern blown away by brilliant Raphinha
This was expected to be a tight contest between two behemoths of the European game, but Raphinha had other ideas as he struck the first of his three goals inside just 54 seconds.
That is the second-earliest goal Barca have scored in the Champions League, beaten only by Mark van Bommel's goal against Panathinaikos in 2005 after 36 seconds.
He is the first player to score twice in the first half of a Champions League game against Bayern since Neymar did so far Barcelona in May 2015, and he only added to the German side's misery with his third in the second period.
Darwin Nunez marked his return to the Liverpool XI with the only goal in his side's 1-0 victory at RB Leipzig as their 100% start in the Champions League continued on Wednesday.
With Diogo Jota ruled out because of injury, Nunez got his chance and delivered in the 27th minute by poking home from Mohamed Salah's header.
That proved enough to secure Liverpool's sixth away win out of six in all competitions this season and maintain an excellent start to new manager Arne Slot's reign.
The Reds also have a perfect record home and away in the Champions League, putting them second in the 36-team league phase with nine points, behind only Aston Villa on goal difference.
Liverpool had chances to add to their lead, seeing claims for a penalty waved away while Alexis Mac Allister hit the crossbar, but it was not all one-way traffic.
Lois Openda twice saw goals disallowed for offside, and Leipzig wasted several other promising opportunities as their wait for a first point goes on.
Data Debrief: Slot's stunning start continues
This was an 11th win from Slot's first 12 matches as Liverpool boss; no other manager has achieved that feat in English top-flight history.
Strong starts specifically in the Champions League are more commonplace for the Reds, with this their third campaign to start with three straight wins – all of those coming in the past five seasons. With a daunting schedule to come across all competitions, those nine points provide a vital buffer early in their European campaign.
Leipzig had more chances than most against this dominant Liverpool defence, but they were caught offside five times. On the occasions they did time their runs, the Bundesliga side were faced with an inspired goalkeeper in Caoimhín Kelleher, who made six saves, his joint-most in a European match.
Jamaica's bodybuilders made their mark at the 51st Central America and Caribbean (CAC) Bodybuilding Championships in Georgetown, Guyana, held from October 19-20, bringing home five medals in a competitive field that featured over 200 athletes from more than 20 countries. While the host nation dominated the event with 25 medals, Jamaica held their own with two gold and three silver medals.
Leading the charge for Jamaica were Rayon Henry and Sean Taylor, who both captured gold in their respective categories. Henry, fresh off winning a national title, triumphed in the Medium Class (176 cm), showcasing his refined physique and superior form. Taylor, competing in the Short Class (170 cm), delivered a standout performance after a challenging year, rebounding from earlier fourth-place finishes in the Muscular Men’s Physique and Men’s Physique Short Class to claim the top spot.
Nicolas Wilson also impressed on his international debut, taking home a silver medal in the highly competitive Bodybuilding Middleweight category (80 kg). Wilson's disciplined preparation paid off, as he made a strong impression against seasoned competitors, proving that he's a rising talent in the sport.
On the women’s side, Jamaica’s national champion Dianne Brown captured a silver medal in the Bikini Fitness Tall Class (169 cm). A former pageant expert, Brown dazzled both the audience and the judges with her flawless physique and commanding stage presence, solidifying her place among the top contenders in the region. Shana Davis Roman added another silver to Jamaica's medal tally in the Fitness Challenge, displaying exceptional athleticism and versatility in the demanding category.
Natasha Gordon also delivered commendable performances, placing fourth in both the Bikini Fitness Open and Masters divisions, contributing to the overall success of Jamaica’s six-member team, which was led by former JABBFA and CAC President, Lt. Col. Bruce Bartley.
Despite competing against a large field of athletes, Jamaica’s bodybuilders proved they could hold their own on the international stage, bringing home valuable hardware from the prestigious event.
Novak Djokovic has confirmed his withdrawal from next week's Paris Masters.
The 24-time major winner announced via his social media channels he will not be participating in the ATP Masters event at Paris-Bercy, where he is a seven-time champion.
Djokovic was a gold medal winner at the Paris Olympics in August, while he has already reached finals at Wimbledon and Shanghai this season, in which he has a 37-9 record.
The Serb featured in last week's inaugural 6 Kings Slam in Riyadh, where he finished in third place after defeating long-time rival Rafael Nadal.
"Unfortunately I won't be playing @rolexparismasters this year," he wrote on Instagram Stories.
"Sorry to everyone who was hoping to see me play there. Wishing all the players, sponsors, organisers and fans a great tournament. I have a lot of great memories winning seven titles there and hope to be back with you next year."
John McGinn believes Unai Emery has already cemented his status as one of Aston Villa's "greatest managers", following their perfect start in the Champions League.
Appearing in Europe's premier club competition for the first time in over 40 years, Villa have won each of their opening three matches, while they are yet to concede a goal.
Their unblemished start continued on Tuesday, with goals from McGinn and Jhon Duran sealing a 2-0 victory over Bologna at Villa Park and moving them top of the league table.
Though Villa are still seeking their first silverware under Emery during his two-year spell, McGinn thinks the Spaniard's place in the club's history is already secured.
"No matter what happens until now and whenever he leaves - we hope it's never - he will certainly go down as one of our club's greatest managers," the skipper said.
"You feed off your leader. He is our leader and we feed off that. No-one can question what he puts in, the effort - and everything which comes his way and our way is on the back of hard work.
"He is just so driven. I have never met anyone like him. He just focuses his full energy all the time.
"He does not let us take our foot off the gas, so we can use all our energy and enthusiasm, and the excitement we have. His determination and intensity is unmatched."
Team Jamaica returned to the island earlier this week as five-time winners of the Caribbean Golf Association’s 4-Ball Championship, which was held in Trinidad and Tobago at the Plantation Golf and Country Club.
Since 2020, when Jamaica won the overall trophy or the Ambrose Gouthro Cup, the island’s golfers have distinguished themselves by winning the cup each year including this year having amassed 73 points over Trinidad and Tobago’s 56.
The other islands in the six-team championship were Bermuda in third place with 38 points, the Bahamas on 34, Barbados on 23, and the Cayman Islands placed sixth with nine points.
Jamaica entered the championship with the largest number of golfers, numbering twenty, followed by host country Trinidad and Tobago with sixteen. There were six-trophy categories within the championship. Jamaica won four of the six categories, came second in one and fifth in the other, while putting on a dominant display over its Caribbean partners. The male/female trophy breakdown showed three wins and a fifth place for the men, while the women won one and came second in the other.
Dr. Mark Newnham and Owen Samuda teamed up to capture the Francis Steele & Perkins Cup for the senior men ahead of Bermuda after posting seven under par 209 over the three rounds, to one under par 215 by Bermuda. They had two very good rounds of three under par each for the second and third rounds, respectively, while scoring one under par 71 in the first round.
The duo of Radcliff Knibbs and Keith Stein posted even more impressive scores to take the Higgs & Higgs Trophy. Their three-day total of eleven under par 205 resulted from three under par 69 in the first round and four under par 68 in the last two rounds. The B team of Metry Seaga and Mike Glieckman came in second with a four under par 212 score, while Trinidad came in third with one over par 217.
The Ashraph Ali Trophy for Masters or men over 70 went to Jamaica’s men’s team of Dorrel Allen and Victor Hudson. They posted a combined score of 220 to share the trophy with the Bahamas, who posted the same score.
The local duo of Andre Dhanpaul and Delroy Johnson were no match for Bermuda in the quest for the Ramon Baez Romano Trophy for mid amateur men. Bermuda’s total score was nine under par 207 while Jamaica posted 24 over par 240 for fifth place.
The combination of Michelle McCreath and Maggie Lyn grabbed the Dessie Henry Trophy for females 45 and over. They scored 252 ahead Trinidad and Tobago’s 264 in second place.
Trinidad and Tobago turned the tables on Jodi Munn-Barrow and Lisa Gardner to take the Maria Nunes Trophy for ladies 25 and over. Trinidad and Tobago’s combined score of 240 was just two strokes ahead of Jamaica’s 242.
President of the Jamaica Golf Association, Jodi Munn-Barrow, expressed delight at the accomplishment.
“I am extremely proud of team Jamaica at this year’s 4-Ball Championships, victorious in all except one category this year and a second place finish. We continue to streak five years as overall champion and everybody went out there, the team played hard, the conditions were tough, course was windy but we all played to our game plan and I am very very proud of all of all of the team members," she said.
Erik ten Hag believes both he and former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho will be successful this season, knowing they both must continue to prove their worth.
Ten Hag faces one of his Old Trafford predecessors on Thursday when United visit Mourinho's Fenerbahce in the Europa League.
The current United boss is a man under pressure after a difficult start to the season, despite delivering silverware in each of his first two seasons in England.
Those were the Red Devils' first trophies since Mourinho was in charge, with the Portuguese leaving Manchester in 2018 and subsequently working at Tottenham, Roma and now Fenerbahce.
Fener are now fourth in Turkey's Super Lig, eight points off the pace, albeit with a game in hand.
But Ten Hag has faith in Mourinho, just as he does in his own ability to turn United's fortunes around.
"Mourinho and I, we won a lot of trophies the last years, but you have to prove yourself every year," the Dutchman said. "When you don't win, we are always under criticism.
"We know that we are experienced enough. Professional football is about winning games, and when you don't win, the criticism is coming.
"But at the end of the day, it's about how you are at the end of the year.
"Mourinho is so experienced, he will lead this team to its best form, he will be successful and so will we.
"We are convinced we are in the right direction, that we follow the right path and we will achieve what our targets are."
Fenerbahce fell into the Europa League after losing a Champions League qualifier to Lille but have at least earned four points from their first two matches in Europe's secondary competition.
United have made hard work of winning two points across the same period, their European form no more impressive than domestic results, which have them 12th in the Premier League.
Going back to last season's miserable Champions League campaign, United are winless in five European matches, their worst run since the 1980s.
"Man United didn't win in Europe [since Mourinho's Europa League win] and it's also for us a target, what we want to achieve, and we have a big opportunity this season," Ten Had added.
"We have the quality, we have to win games. It's a new set-up, we are two games under way, we have two points, we know what we have to do and win games.
"This season we just started, we have two draws. First season, I think we won a lot of European games. Last season, obviously it was for domestic and also in Europe a difficult journey.
"But we are confident, we are confident we are capable to do this, to win games in the Premier League and in Europe."
Atalanta failed to turn their dominance into goals, as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Celtic at Gewiss Stadium.
The hosts endured a frustrating day in Bergamo, where they were unable to find the breakthrough, despite registering 22 shots on goal to their opponents' four.
Atalanta had collected four points from their opening two games, and quickly established their authority on proceedings.
They went closest to scoring in the 18th minute, when Mario Pasalic rattled the crossbar with his header from Davide Zappacosta's cross.
The hosts continued to control the contest and push for the opening goal in the second half, enjoying just under 70% of the possession.
However, a combination of stubborn defending and Kasper Schmeichel heroics saw Celtic hold on for a hard-earned point.
Data Debrief: Italian Job well done by Celtic
Celtic had lost all seven of their previous Champions League away matches in Italy. The Hoops had also suffered defeat in eight of their last nine games in the competition on the road.
However, they held firm to stop the rot, with Kasper Schmeichel becoming the first Celtic goalkeeper to make as many as six saves and keep a clean sheet in a Champions League game on record.
As for Atalanta, they are only the second team in the Champions League (2008-09 onwards) to register 20+ shots and 50+ touches in the opposition box during a single match without scoring.
Brest and Bayer Leverkusen played out a 1-1 draw in the Champions League on Wednesday, ending both teams' winning starts to the competition.
The German champions took early control and were rewarded with a 24th-minute lead when Florian Wirtz completed a superb passing move with a low finish.
Brest's 39th-minute equaliser was even more spectacular, with 31-year-old Pierre Lees-Melou powering in a sumptuous volley from the edge of the box to score on his maiden Champions League appearance.
The hosts had the better of the second-half chances, with Mama Balde coming the closest to a winner following a quick counter-attack, but he could only hit the side netting.
Both sides had penalty shouts at the end of either half, with VAR reviews leading to neither being given, and there was nothing to separate the teams after 90 minutes.
Brest and Leverkusen are level on seven points from three matches, sitting third and fourth respectively, two points behind leaders Aston Villa.
Data Debrief: Wirtz shines as Leverkusen stutter again
It has been a mixed season for Leverkusen so far, with Xabi Alonso's side not quite hitting their free-flowing best from last term.
Wirtz once again starred for the visitors and became the fifth player born after the millennium to score 15 major European goals, after Phil Foden, Rodrygo, Erling Haaland and Vinicius Junior.
In fact, since his European debut in August 2020, he has been directly involved in more goals in major European competitions than any other German player (27 - 15 goals, 12 assists).
As for Lees-Melou, he became the second-oldest Frenchman (aged 31 years, 151 days) to score on his Champions League debut, after Daniel Bravo in 1994 (31y 217d).
West Indies suffered a series-defining loss in the second One-day International (ODI) against Sri Lanka, as they again went down by five wickets in Pallekele on Wednesday.
The defeat, which resulted from another disappointing batting performance, saw Sri Lanka taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, leaving the Caribbean side with mere hopes of salvaging pride in the final game on Saturday.
After a dismal batting collapse that saw the West Indies at a shocking 58-8 in the rain-affected contest, which was reduced to 44 overs per team, it was an historic ninth-wicket partnership between Sherfane Rutherford (80) and Gudakesh Motie (50 not out) that added a glimmer of respectability to their total.
The pair put together 119 runs, the highest-ever ninth-wicket stand in West Indies' ODI history, with Rutherford smashing four sixes and seven fours in his 82-ball knock, while Motie’s maiden ODI half-century came off 61 balls and included six boundaries, as they lifted the side to 189.
However, the damage had already been done by Sri Lanka’s disciplined bowling attack led by spinners Wanindu Hasaranga (4-40) and Maheesh Theekshana (3-25). Seamer Asitha Fernando had 3-35. Their batting unit led by an unbeaten 62 from captain Charith Asalanka then surpassed their target with some degree of comfort.
Scores: West Indies 189 (36 overs); Sri Lanka 190-5 (38.2 overs)
After being asked to take first strike, the West Indies’ top and middle order, with the exception of Rutherford, again failed miserably, as they crumbled under the pressure of Sri Lanka’s spin-heavy assault. In fact, besides Rutherford and Motie, opener Brandon King (16) was the only other batsman in double figures, which tells the tale of the alarming regularity in which the wickets fell.
By the 16th over, the Caribbean side had lost eight wickets for just 58 runs, with no batsman managing to stabilize the innings. However, in what seemed like a foregone conclusion, Rutherford and Motie showed resilience and defiance and gave the team a fighting chance, but their efforts were ultimately too little, too late.
West Indies bowlers initially showed some promise, as vice captain Alzarri Joseph (2-30) and Motie (1-18) picked up early wickets, but Sri Lanka's steady chase, led by Asalanka, ensured there would be no upset.
Asalanka, who struck seven fours and a solitary six in his 61-ball knock, anchored the innings with the assistance of Sadeera Samarawickrama (38) and Janith Liyanage (24), after Nishan Madushka (38) earlier got things going.
West Indies captain Shai Hope expressed disappointment with the team’s performance, particularly with the batting, as they are now left to play for pride in the third and final ODI.
“I really don't like to focus on things we can't control. Today it was disappointing. We just need to get through the powerplay and negate the spin threat. We needed to limit the dot balls so hopefully we can play better in the last game. We are not putting enough revs on the ball, bowling quickly as well, and so we need to take lessons from Sri Lanka’s spinners,” Hope said in a post-game interview.
“We didn’t put enough runs on the board, and that’s been the story for us in this series. We’ve got to do better in the third game.”
Heung-min Son will miss Tottenham's Europa League clash with AZ, head coach Ange Postecoglou has confirmed.
The Spurs skipper returned from a hamstring injury during their victory over West Ham at the weekend, but was absent from training on Wednesday.
Postecoglou said Son would not be risked for the visit of the Eredivisie side on Thursday, with Tottenham aiming to make it three wins from three, having opened their campaign with victories over Qarabag and Ferencvaros.
Although, Richarlison is available and could make his first start of the season, after returning from injury as a substitute against West Ham.
"Sonny was a bit sore after the weekend," Postecoglou told reporters during his pre-match press conference. "He was never going to be involved tomorrow. [We will] leave him out of tomorrow, and see how he is from there.
"Richy got through this weekend really well, [he is into] almost the second week of training now. [He is] ready to go in terms of being available.
"We've started the competition really well so far, [with] different challenges in both games. We've exposed some of our young players to European football, a positive growth from that.
"From our perspective - here at home - it's a good opportunity to continue our form."
Juanpe said it was "a dream come true" after his goal helped Girona to an historic first Champions League victory in their history.
Michel's side, who are embarking on their maiden campaign in Europe's premier competition, got their first win on the board after seeing off Slovan Bratislava 2-0 on Tuesday.
After opening with successive defeats against Paris Saint-Germain and Feyenoord, Girona took a first-half lead through Miguel Gutierrez, before Juanpe's deflected free-kick sealed the victory 17 minutes from time.
And the 33-year-old defender, who is in his ninth season with Blanquivermells, was proud to play his part of a momentous day for the club.
"It's a dream come true. We watched this competition on TV, and this is the pure elite," he said. "I'm very happy. When I scored, I looked at the scoreboard to make sure it was true, my entire football career was going through my mind.
"It's an important triumph and one of the most important moments of my career, scoring in the Champions League with Girona."
"I am very happy for Juanpe," head coach Michel added. "He has been here for many years, and now he has scored in the Champions League.
"We must be happy and proud of these players. Most of their performances were incredible."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
