Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti believes Sunday's derby draw with Atletico Madrid could prove to be an important result in the future, despite their last-gasp concession.
Madrid were on course to move within a point of Barcelona – who saw their unbeaten start to the season ended by Osasuna on Saturday – in LaLiga when Eder Militao opened the scoring after 64 minutes.
However, after a 15-minute stoppage due to members of the crowd throwing objects at Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, Angel Correa snatched a 95th-minute leveller for Atleti.
The Argentine's strike was the first stoppage-time goal scored by Atleti in a Madrid derby this century, as both teams maintained their unbeaten starts to the campaign.
Ancelotti was frustrated to drop two points but feels the result was still a positive one, telling reporters: "It is hard to cope with a draw when we were very close to winning.
"It can happen, the opponents are very strong and have a lot of quality. Their goal was in the last minute, it's a pity. We controlled the game well, we came close.
"But I always like to think positively. We've won a point away from home and we are a point closer [to Barcelona].
"The dynamic is good, we are in contention and we don't despair, a draw here can mean a good point for the future."
Referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer took both teams off the pitch in the aftermath of Militao's opening goal as objects rained down from the stands, causing Atleti boss Diego Simeone to say Los Colchoneros "do not need these people".
Ancelotti hailed the officials' reaction to the incident and said the stoppage had not affected the flow of the game, adding: "I don't think it helped Atletico, it affected us both equally.
"We all wanted to play. The decision to stop the match was the right one. The referee said that lighters were thrown and that he had stopped the match twice, if they threw another one, he had to suspend it.
"I think it was a correct decision by the referee. It had to stop, a few things were sorted out, and we started again. Obviously, none of us liked the situation. Everyone wanted to play. The referee acted well."
Diego Simeone slammed Atletico Madrid's ultras after violence caused Sunday's 1-1 draw with Real Madrid to be temporarily halted, though he also feels players who provoke fans should be sanctioned.
Atleti and their cross-city rivals both maintained their unbeaten starts to the season as they played out a fiery draw at the Civitas Metropolitano, with Angel Correa's stoppage-time goal cancelling out Eder Militao's 64th-minute opener.
Militao's goal precipitated violent scenes as the ultras group Fondo Sur hurled objects including cigarette lighters at visiting goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
That caused referee Mateo Busquets Ferrer to take both teams off the pitch for 15 minutes, as Simeone and Atleti captain Koke approached the stands in a bid to placate fans.
After the delayed match finally ended level, with Atleti also seeing Marcos Llorente sent off nine minutes into stoppage time, Simeone told DAZN: "My opinion is that people who have committed incidents should be sanctioned by the club. We don't need these people. We need the people who accompany and support us."
He was also critical, however, of Courtois' celebrations, adding: "They harm the club, but be careful: that does not justify generating situations that we, the protagonists, generate.
"We all have to help. The people who have thrown those lighters, it's not right. But maybe it doesn't help when us, the protagonists, undermine people, charge against people, provoke people and then people get angry.
"People have no other way of doing it, in a bad way, which is not right, but we also have to try to be calm, to understand the situations.
"You can celebrate a goal by celebrating it, but not by celebrating it by staring at the stands, charging against the stands, making gestures... because then people get angry.
"Of course it's not justified, but neither is the initial thing justified because otherwise we'll always be victims. The one who throws the cigarette lighter should be sanctioned and the one who provokes should also be sanctioned.
"This way there is no more laughter and things like that; as you are not sanctioned, you are allowed to do things."
Atletico later released an official statement saying they have already identified one fan who hurled objects onto the pitch and are working with police to identify others.
"Atletico de Madrid wishes to express their rejection of the throwing of objects from a section of the south stand in the 68th minute of the match against Real Madrid," the statement read.
"The club's security department has been working together with the police to locate those involved, one of whom has already been identified.
"The club will apply the internal regime foreseen for very serious cases to the people involved in this incident.
"These attitudes have no place in football and tarnish the image of a stadium that has experienced a spectacular atmosphere with more than 70,000 spectators in the stands, the vast majority of whom have shown exemplary behaviour."
Derrick Henry's franchise-record 87-yard touchdown run set the tone as the Baltimore Ravens knocked the Buffalo Bills from the ranks of the unbeaten with an emphatic 35-10 victory on Sunday night.
Henry broke free for the longest run in team history on Baltimore's first play from scrimmage to foreshadow a dominating performance from the defending AFC North champions, who out-gained the Bills by a 427-236 margin in total yards en route to handing Buffalo (3-1) its first loss of the season.
The Ravens amassed 271 yards on the ground, with Henry producing 199 on 24 carries and adding a touchdown catch to lead Baltimore (2-2) to a second straight win following a surprising 0-2 start.
Lamar Jackson chipped in as well by throwing for two touchdowns and running for another. The 2023 NFL MVP completed 13 of 18 passes for 156 yards and added 54 as a runner.
The Ravens scored touchdowns on each of their first three drives to build a 21-3 half-time lead. After Buffalo's Tyler Bass hit a 50-yard field goal after Henry's record-setting run, Baltimore promptly marched 70 yards in nine plays to reach the end zone again.
Henry finished that drive as well by catching Jackson's short pass and crossing the goal line untouched on the first play of the second quarter.
The Bills also offered no resistance on Baltimore's next drive, a 10-play, 81-yard march capped by Jackson's 19-yard touchdown pass to Justice Hill midway through the second quarter.
Buffalo regrouped after intermission, with Josh Allen finding Khalil Shakir for a 52-yard gain before Ty Johnson cut the lead to 21-10 with a 3-yard touchdown run on the Bills' opening series of the third quarter.
The Bills' next possession ended in a turnover, however, as Allen fumbled when sacked by Kyle Van Noy and the Ravens recovered at Buffalo's 41-yard line.
A 25-yard Henry run and Hill's 17-yard catch following the takeaway preceded Jackson's 9-yard touchdown run and a 28-10 advantage late in the third quarter.
Henry nearly had a third touchdown of the night, but he fumbled into the end zone after taking a hand-off at Buffalo's 1-yard line. Baltimore fullback Patrick Ricard fell on the loose ball, however, for the Ravens' final TD with 11:23 left to play.
Allen, coming off a four-touchdown passing performance in Buffalo's 47-10 rout of the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday, was held to 180 yards while completing 16 of 29 attempts.
Darnold delivers again as 4-0 Vikings hold off Packers
Sam Darnold continued his remarkable comeback season with three more touchdown passes as the Minnesota Vikings moved to 4-0 by holding on for a 31-29 win over the NFC North-rival Green Bay Packers.
Darnold led the Vikings to touchdowns on four of their first five drives as Minnesota built a 28-0 lead before fending off a late comeback attempt spurred by Jordan Love in the Green Bay quarterback's return from a two-game absence.
Love threw three of his four touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, including two to Dontayvion Wicks, and finished with 389 yards through the air in his first start since spraining his knee in the Packers' season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil.
The Packers' franchise signal-caller was intercepted three times, however, and Green Bay (2-2) had four total turnovers that contributed to its two-game winning streak being halted.
Darnold completed 20 of 28 passes for 275 yards with one interception to spark Minnesota to its first 4-0 start since 2016. Former Packer Aaron Jones contributed 139 yards from scrimmage in his first game at Lambeau Field since being released by Green Bay in the offseason and signing with the Vikings.
Minnesota took control right away, as Darnold hit Jailen Nailor for a 31-yard gain on 3rd-and-14 before capping the game's initial drive with a 29-yard strike to a wide-open Jordan Addison just 3:07 into the contest.
After Green Bay's Brayden Narveson missed a 37-yard field goal attempt on the ensuing possession, the Vikings marched 73 yards in eight plays to take a 14-0 lead on Darnold's 2-yard touchdown pass to Josh Oliver late in the first quarter.
Kamu Grugier-Hill then intercepted Love to give Minnesota the ball near midfield, with the takeaway setting up Addison's 7-yard touchdown run on a jet sweep that extended the lead to 21-0 with 11:50 left before half-time.
Green Bay's next two drives ended in another Narveson missed field goal and Love's second interception, which Shaquil Griffin returned 28 yards to the Packers' 4-yard line.
After the Vikings were backed up by a holding penalty, Darnold found Justin Jefferson in the end zone for a 14-yard score to increase the margin to 28-0 with 5:28 remaining in the second quarter.
The Packers finally got some momentum late in the first half when Nailor fumbled a punt and Green Bay recovered deep in Minnesota territory, setting up Love's 15-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Reed just before half-time.
Reed finished with a career-high 139 yards on seven catches.
The Vikings maintained their 28-7 advantage into the fourth quarter, when Green Bay's offence came back to life.
Love engineered an 89-yard drive culminating in his 6-yard touchdown pass to Wicks to start the rally attempt, and cornerback Keisean Nixon sacked Darnold on the next play from scrimmage to force a fumble the Packers recovered on Minnesota's 20-yard line.
Two plays later, Love connected with Tucker Kraft for a 13-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 28-22 with 10:16 left.
The Vikings answered on their next possession, as a 27-yard completion from Darnold to Jefferson led to Will Reichard's 33-yard field goal with 6:50 remaining that made it a two-score game again.
Green Bay turned it over on its following two drives before closing within 31-29 on Love's 17-yard touchdown pass to Wicks with 56 seconds to play. The Vikings recovered the ensuing onside kick attempt, however, and ran out the clock.
Chiefs stay unbeaten with comeback win over Chargers
The Kansas City Chiefs also got to 4-0 on the season after overcoming an early 10-point deficit and an injury to wide receiver Rashee Rice in a 17-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Samaje Perine scored the tie-breaking touchdown with 6:04 remaining as the two-time defending Super Bowl champions won their 10th consecutive game dating back to last season, which includes four victories during the 2023 playoffs.
Patrick Mahomes threw for 245 yards and a touchdown, a 54-yard strike to rookie Xavier Worthy in the second quarter that came after Rice was carted off with what the Chiefs fear is a torn ACL in his right knee, according to multiple reports.
Travis Kelce also stepped up in Rice's absence, as the veteran tight end posted season highs of seven catches and 89 receiving yards.
Worthy hauled in Mahomes' perfectly thrown deep ball to bring the Chiefs within 10-7 at the half, and Kansas City got the ball near midfield on their first drive of the third quarter after Los Angeles' Cameron Dicker missed a 55-yard field goal attempt.
Mahomes completed 4 of 5 passes on the series to put the Chiefs in range for Harrison Butker's 37-yard field goal that tied the game.
Kansas City's defence stopped the Chargers on 4th-and-1 from the Chiefs' 3-yard line early in the fourth quarter to keep the score at 10-10, then forced a three-and-out on Los Angeles' next possession before the offence came through with the go-ahead drive.
The Chiefs marched 60 yards in just five plays, highlighted by Mahomes' 29-yard pass to Noah Gray, and took their first lead of the day when Perine powered into the end zone from two yards out.
Chris Jones' third-down sack of Justin Herbert forced the Chargers to punt with 3:15 to go, and Los Angeles never got the ball back as Kansas City successfully ran out the clock.
Herbert, playing on a sprained ankle he injured in Week 2, completed 16 of 27 passes for 179 yards and had a 7-yard touchdown toss to Ladd McConkey that gave Los Angeles (2-2) a 7-0 lead with 6:16 left in the first quarter.
Kristian Fulton then intercepted Mahomes on the next snap from scrimmage - the play where Rice was injured - and returned the ball 29 yards to set up Dicker's 50-yard field goal for a 10-0 advantage.
Flacco's relief effort helps Colts deal Steelers first loss
Joe Flacco threw two touchdown passes in relief of an injured Anthony Richardson, and the Indianapolis Colts got a late defensive stop to hold on for a 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Flacco took over after Richardson hurt his hip on a scramble late in the first quarter and threw for 168 yards on 16-of-26 passing. The 39-year-old hit Josh Downs and Drew Ogletree for touchdowns to help Indianapolis (2-2) to a second straight win following an 0-2 start.
Downs finished with 82 yards on eight catches and Michael Pittman amassed 113 yards on six receptions for the Colts, who also received 88 rushing yards and a touchdown from Jonathan Taylor.
Pittsburgh (3-1) was handed its first loss of the season despite Justin Fields rushing for two touchdowns and throwing for another. Fields was sacked four times and had one of two Pittsburgh lost fumbles, however, as the Steelers failed to overcome a 17-0 deficit.
Fields completed 22 of 34 passes for 312 yards, while George Pickens led the Steelers' receivers with 113 yards on seven catches.
Richardson made an impact before his early departure, as he hit Pittman for a 32-yard gain on the game's first play to ignite an eight-play, 70-yard drive that Taylor finished with a 2-yard touchdown run less than three minutes in.
The 2023 first-round pick left after being tackled on a short run near the goal line on the Colts' next possession, which Flacco capped with a 4-yard touchdown delivery to Downs to extend the lead to 14-0 late in the first quarter.
Matt Gay's 33-yard field goal early in the second quarter increased Indianapolis' advantage to 17-0, but a 29-yard completion from Fields to Pat Freiermuth late in the first half got Pittsburgh on the board via Chris Boswell's 50-yard field goal.
The Steelers' defence then forced a pair of three-and-outs to begin the third quarter, and Fields and Pickens hooked up for a 38-yard completion to highlight a six-play drive culminating in Fields' 5-yard touchdown run that brought Pittsburgh within 17-10 with 2:53 to go in the period.
Indianapolis responded with a 10-play, 70-yard drive kept alive by Flacco's 25-yard completion to Downs on 3rd-and-7. The veteran quarterback later hit Ogletree over the middle for a 15-yard touchdown that put the Colts up 24-10 early in the fourth quarter.
Pittsburgh answered once again, though, as a 32-yard catch and run by Najee Harris moved the ball deep into Indianapolis territory before Fields trimmed the lead to 24-17 with a 2-yard touchdown run with 11:23 remaining.
After Gay hit a 35-yard field goal to increase the Colts' lead to 10, Fields found Freiermuth for an 8-yard touchdown with 3:40 left to pull the Steelers within 27-24. The score was set up by a 37-yard catch by Pickens.
Pittsburgh got the ball back with 2:39 remaining, but Fields' final two passes fell incomplete and the Colts took over on downs with 29 seconds on the clock.
Broncos earn narrow win over Jets as defence flusters Rodgers
Wil Lutz hit a go-ahead 47-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter, and the Denver Broncos' defence made the kick stand up in a 10-9 win over the New York Jets at a soggy MetLife Stadium.
Denver (2-2) got its second straight win following an 0-2 start despite quarterback Bo Nix mustering just 60 passing yards in the rainy conditions. The rookie quarterback did throw his first NFL touchdown pass, however, when he found Courtland Sutton for an 8-yard score in the third quarter.
Running backs Javonte Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin combined for 123 rushing yards to give the offence some spark, though, while the defence kept Aaron Rodgers and the Jets out of the end zone while recording five sacks of the four-time NFL MVP.
Rodgers completed just 24 of 42 pass attempts for 225 yards on a day New York (2-2) managed just three Greg Zuerlein field goals and went 4 of 17 on third downs.
Zuerlein misfired on a 50-yard field goal try with 47 seconds left, however, to snap the Jets' two-game winning streak.
New York had taken a 9-7 lead on Zuerlein's 40-yard field goal with 13:34 remaining, a kick set up by Rodgers' 22-yard completion to Mike Williams and a 23-yard connection with Garrett Wilson on the following play.
Denver then answered with an eight-play drive in which all of its yards came on the ground, putting it in range for Lutz's field goal that put the Broncos back ahead with 8:55 to go.
Lutz later missed a 50-yard attempt with 1:27 remaining to give the Jets another chance, and a defensive pass interference penalty and a short catch from Williams got New York to Denver's 32-yard line for a field goal opportunity in the final minute.
Zuerlein's kick veered to the right of the post, however.
The Broncos managed just 46 total yards over the first two quarters and trailed 6-0 at the half after Zuerlein hit from 23 and 35 yards out in the second quarter. The first field goal came after Denver's Ty Badie fumbled when injured on a short catch and the Jets recovered at the Broncos' 34.
Nix was just 12 of 25 passing for the game, but the rookie came through with a key 29-yard completion to Sutton on 3rd-and-11 to extend what turned out to be the lone touchdown drive of the day.
Sutton got wide open in the end zone shortly afterward and came down with Nix's 8-yard toss to put the Broncos up 7-6 with 3:08 left in the third quarter.
Texans score late touchdown to keep Jaguars win-less
Dare Ogunbowale caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from C.J. Stroud with 18 seconds remaining to lift the Houston Texans to a 24-20 victory over Jacksonville that dropped the reeling Jaguars to 0-4.
After being forced to punt on their first five drives of the second half, the Texans' offence finally got untracked in the final minutes as Stroud led a nine-play, 69-yard series to put his team ahead.
The 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year connected with Nico Collins for 26 yards to the Jacksonville 27-yard line with Houston (3-1) down 20-17 at the two-minute warning. Stroud later found Dalton Schultz for a 6-yard gain on 3rd-and-3 from the Jaguars' 8 before rolling out and hitting Ogunbowale in stride for the go-ahead score.
Stroud finished with 345 yards and two touchdowns while completing 27 of 40 passes, with nearly half of them going to Collins. The star wide receiver racked up 151 yards and a touchdown on a career-high 12 catches.
Trevor Lawrence threw two touchdown passes for Jacksonville (0-4), including an 8-yard strike to Christian Kirk that put the Jaguars up 20-17 with 6:16 left in the third quarter.
Lawrence's first TD pass came after the Jaguars recovered a muffed punt from Houston's Steven Sims at the Texans' 2-yard line in the opening minutes. Rookie Brian Thomas Jr. came down with the former No. 1 overall pick's short toss on the next play to quickly give Jacksonville a 7-0 lead 2:16 in.
Houston answered with a nine-play, 70-yard drive capped by wide receiver Stefon Diggs' 6-yard touchdown run on an aborted passing play midway through the first quarter.
Cam Little's 41-yard field goal on the ensuing possession put Jacksonville back ahead until Stroud's 3-yard touchdown pass to Collins gave the Texans a 14-10 edge with 7:19 left in the second quarter, with the score ending a 12-play, 74-yard drive.
Both teams traded field goals to close out the first half, with Little making a 52-yarder and Ka'imi Fairbairn countering with a 32-yard kick that sent Houston into half-time up 17-13.
Thomas recorded 86 yards on six catches for Jacksonville, while Kirk had seven receptions totalling 61 yards and Tank Bigsby rushed for 90 yards on just seven carries in the loss.
The Kansas City Chiefs earned another win on Sunday, but may have lost their top wide receiver in the process.
Multiple outlets reported that the two-time reigning Super Bowl champions believe Rashee Rice tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the team's 17-10 Week 4 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Rice, who led the NFL with 24 receptions through this season's first three weeks, will undergo an MRI Monday to confirm the initial diagnosis, according to ESPN.
The second-year wideout was injured in the first quarter of Sunday's game when he collided with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who inadvertently dove into Rice's knee as the two teammates were attempting to tackle Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton on an interception return.
Rice was carted off to the locker room shortly after leaving the field and eventually ruled out of the game.
The injury further depletes the Chiefs at an already thin position, as projected No. 2 receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown is expected to miss the entire regular season due to a preseason shoulder injury that required surgery.
Kansas City is also currently without leading rusher Isiah Pacheco, who is recovering from a fractured fibula he sustained in Week 2.
After recording 79 receptions for 938 yards and a team-leading seven touchdown catches during a strong 2023 rookie campaign, Rice was far and away Mahomes' top target during the early stages of this season. He accumulated 288 receiving yards and two touchdowns on his 24 catches through the first three games.
No other Kansas City player had double-digit receptions entering Sunday's contest.
Despite their injury issues, the Chiefs moved to 4-0 with Sunday's victory and have now won 10 consecutive games dating back to last season, which includes four wins in the 2023 NFL playoffs.
The Arizona Diamondbacks needed a win in Sunday's season finale to stay in the mix for a play-off berth.
They got the needed victory, but now must wait to see if it's enough.
The Diamondbacks ended a two-game skid with an 11-2 rout over a San Diego Padres team they hope to join in the post-season.
Arizona won't know its fate until the completion of Monday's make-up double-header between the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves. The games were originally scheduled for last Wednesday and Thursday in Atlanta but were postponed due to Hurricane Helene ripping through the southeastern United States.
The Diamondbacks (89-73) will qualify for the play-offs if either the Mets or Braves sweep the double-header. If the two teams split the two games, however, both the Mets and Braves will secure the NL's last two wild-card berths.
San Diego (93-69) had already captured the NL's top wild-card spot.
The Diamondbacks, who entered the finale having lost five of six, knocked around the Padres in the fourth inning with six runs.
Christian Walker started the outburst with a double - the first of five consecutive hits for Arizona.
Eugenio Suárez singled to drive in Walker for his 100th RBI of the season, and Ketel Marte capped the fourth-inning scoring with a two-run homer.
San Diego's Luis Arraez notched his 200th hit with a sixth-inning double, which gave him the NL's batting title with a .314 average.
This is the third straight batting crown for Arráez - and incredibly, all three have come with different teams.
He won his first with the Minnesota Twins in 2022, then led the NL in batting last season with the Miami Marlins.
Braves lose to Royals to squander shot at play-off berth
The Braves could've punched a post-season ticket with a win over the play-off-bound Kansas City Royals in their series finale, but suffered a 4-2 defeat.
The Royals (86-76) jumped on Atlanta starter Charlie Morton early, tallying three runs before he was able to record an out.
Tommy Pham led off the game with a double, Bobby Witt Jr. followed with a single and Michael Massey plated both of them with a home run.
Witt wound up winning the AL batting title with a .332 average, becoming the first Kansas City batting champ since Hall of Famer George Brett in 1990.
Braves lead-off hitter Michael Harris II had three singles, but Atlanta (88-72) wasted several scoring chances, going just 1 for 9 with runners on and leaving nine men on base.
The Royals' season will continue Tuesday when they visit the Baltimore Orioles in a wild card series.
Ohtani falls short of Triple Crown
Having already locked up the NL's top seed, the Los Angeles Dodgers didn't have much to play for in their season finale other than Shohei Ohtani trying to become the league's first Triple Crown winner in nearly 90 years.
Ohtani, however, came up short of the feat in the NL West-champion Dodgers' 2-1 win over the Colorado Rockies.
The Japanese superstar went 1 for 4 to finish the season with a .310 batting average to end up behind Arraez.
Ohtani led the NL this season in homers (54) and RBIs (130), but fell just short of becoming the league's first Triple Crown winner since the St. Louis Cardinals' Joe Medwick in 1937.
He did steal another base, however, his 59th of the season during Los Angeles' eighth-inning rally.
Chris Taylor's homer in the eighth evened the score at 1-1, and four batters later, Austin Barnes scored the winning run, coming home on a balk by Rockies reliever Seth Halvorsen.
The Dodgers (98-64) are now off until Saturday, when they open an NL Division Series.
The finale marked the last MLB game for four-time All-Star Charlie Blackmon, who announced earlier this week he was retiring after 14 seasons with the Rockies (61-101).
Ireland captain Paul Stirling is "over the moon" after securing their first-ever T20I victory over South Africa, beating them by 10 runs.
Brilliant performances from brothers Ross and Mark Adair set them on course to the win, as they drew the two-match series 1-1.
Ross Adair scored his maiden international century, combining with Stirling for a superb opening partnership of 137, leading the team to 195-6, their highest T20I score against South Africa.
Mark Adair then followed up that performance with an impressive stand in the field, finishing with 4-31, before Graham Hume's 3-25 rounded off the triumph.
And Stirling was thrilled with how Ireland performed on both sides, particularly in the field.
"At halfway, we wanted an extra 15-20 runs," he said.
"They squeezed us, and we felt under-par. There was less dew [on Sunday] and we managed to get over the line.
"You need time at the crease to get the pace of the wicket. That is what won us the game.
"With new batters coming in, you always have a chance. We are absolutely delighted [with the win]. It could have gone either way. Over the moon [with the result] and hopefully we can bring it into the ODIs."
South Africa started brightly, with both Reeze Hendricks and Matthew Breetzke getting 51 after Ryan Rickelton's opening 36.
However, they soon collapsed after that, with none of the other eight batters able to reach double figures as they finished on 185-9.
Captain Aiden Markram admitted that fine margins cost them on Sunday, but he still found positives to take from the series.
"We thought it was chaseable for sure," he said. "Small moments in the game.
"It comes down to execution and if you can win those moments. When you lose wickets regularly…you want a 20-30-run partnership. They made it tough for us.
"Each guy will have a certain area to improve. We never really stop learning. Ultimately, making better decisions and winning games for South Africa."
The two sides now turn their attention to the three-match ODI series, which starts on Wednesday at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.
Harry Brook focused on the positives as he saluted England's performances, despite their 3-2 ODI series defeat to Australia.
Australia clinched a 49-run victory by the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method in the final ODI in Bristol.
England had recovered from 2-0 down in the series with Brook, who captained the hosts in Jos Buttler's absence, leading their charge with 110 not out and 87 in the third and fourth ODI respectively.
Brook (72) and Ben Duckett (107) put on a fantastic 132-run stand on Sunday to set a target of 310, though it proved academic as DLS came into play with the tourists on 165-2 with 29 overs remaining when rain stopped play.
However, the stand-in skipper believes the experience will benefit him and his team-mates in the long run.
"It's not just the present now, we're looking long-term," said Brook, who was named the ODI player of the summer.
"We're trying to build towards the bigger series and competitions. It's a new brand of cricket we're trying to play, and I think we've done that perfectly.
"Getting out of the power play, we didn't get the wickets we wanted, but outside of that, we've done really well."
On his own performance, he added: "It's nice to get on the board, score a few runs and contribute to some wins. I haven't played too much, but it's nice to finally get the tempo of ODI cricket.
"Captaincy has been good. It's something I might think about in the future, but I'll sit back and let Jos do it for now."
Ange Postecoglou has hailed his "outstanding" Tottenham side after their dominant 3-0 victory over 10-man Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Spurs took the lead after three minutes through Brennan Johnson and gained a numerical advantage just before the break as Bruno Fernandes was sent off for a high tackle on James Maddison.
Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke secured the three points in the second half, as they had 24 shots (10 on target) and created 4.67 expected goals (xG).
They also created nine big chances, the joint-most ever recorded in a Premier League match, as they extended their unbeaten run over United to four games in the competition.
Postecoglou was impressed with his team's performance across the 90 minutes, particularly with their fast start.
"I thought it was an outstanding performance," Postecoglou told BBC Match of the Day. "We started the game well, scored a great goal and probably should have had two or three.
"The pressure then overwhelms them, and they get the red card. After that, I thought we controlled the game well. Just an outstanding effort from all the lads.
"I don't know about frustrated [about not getting more goals], but I am only human. More for the players themselves. We played some unbelievable football, and you want them to get the rewards.
"Every game you always want to start well, but it doesn't always happen. I told the boys that in the last two games, we conceded in the first 20 seconds against Brentford and then had a man sent off in the first eight minutes, so it is about dealing with what you have out there.
"That is our fourth win in a row, and we have won them in different ways, but always stayed true to our principals and the way we want to play football."
Johnson also struck the post in the first half and got the assist for Kulusevski's strike just two minutes into the second.
He has now scored in consecutive Premier League appearances for the first time in his career (79th app on Sunday), while he has netted four times across all competitions this season – just one fewer than he managed in 34 games for Tottenham last term (five).
"Yes, that [starting fast] is what we do, it is what the manager talks about all the time," Johnson said.
"We are not a team that takes 10-15 minutes to get into a game because that's not the way we play. From minute one we have to be at the opponent so that they know they are in a game, and it just brings out the best in us.
"If we can get a game with good intensity, it suits us so much, and if we can score early on then even better because it means teams have to open up a bit.
"[Winning four in a row] is a sign of intent from us. I think, whatever competition it is important to get the wins.
"We came here with a clear game plan but at the end of the day, we had to win. We can play as well as we can, but if we don't come away with the win, then it's all for nothing - we have learned that a few times this season, so to win and get a clean sheet, it's a great day."
Angel Correa bundled home a stoppage-time equaliser to snatch a 1-1 draw with Real Madrid in a LaLiga derby which was suspended in the second half.
The home fans threw objects onto the pitch near Thibaut Courtois in the 69th minute, forcing a stop to proceedings as the trouble was dealt with.
Shortly before that, Eder Militao had opened the scoring for the visitors, with his rifled effort taking a deflection past Jan Oblak into the back of the net 64 minutes in.
The game was stopped for around 20 minutes, and when the players returned to the pitch, Atletico piled the pressure on.
They eventually levelled the score in the 95th minute, with substitute Correa rounding Courtois to roll it into an empty net, and the goal, which was initially ruled offside, was given following a VAR review.
Diego Llorente was then sent off four minutes later, sliding in with a heavy challenge on Fran Garcia, with VAR upgrading his yellow card to a red.
Real Madrid are second in the standings on 18 points, three behind Barcelona, but two ahead of Atletico in third after eight games.
Data Debrief: Sharing the spoils
For the most part, the Madrid derby was a cagey affair, with neither side creating too much of note in the opening exchanges, but they both ramped up the pressure after the break.
Vinicius Junior's assist for the opener was his fifth in all competitions so far this season, the joint-most of any player across the top five European leagues.
But you can never count Atletico out - they have scored five goals in the final 15 minutes of the second half so far this season, with no team in LaLiga netting more.
All in all, it was a memorable tie, even more so for Antoine Griezmann, who was making his 500th LaLiga appearance, becoming the 14th player to hit the milestone in the competition's history.
Napoli moved top of Serie A following a routine 2-0 win over Monza at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
First-half goals from Matteo Politano and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia did the trick for Antonio Conte's side, who leapfrogged Juventus to the summit of the table.
The hosts broke through in the 22nd minute as Politano rounded off a strong run by drilling a low shot beyond Stefano Turati in the Monza goal.
The visitors were then victims of their own downfall as Napoli doubled their lead 11 minutes later.
Turati pass out from the back went straight to Frank Anguissa, who then combined with Scott McTominay to set up Kvaratskhelia to volley home.
Though Monza improved in the second half, they were unable to truly trouble Napoli, who held out for the three points and their fourth clean sheet of the campaign.
Data Debrief: Politano matches Zapata and Dybala
Napoli are back at the Serie A summit for the first time since the final day of the Scudetto-winning season of 2022-23.
Politano got the ball rolling as he became one of only three players to score in each of the last 10 Serie A seasons, along with Duvan Zapata and Paulo Dybala.
Kvaratskhelia doubled the lead with what was his fifth direct goal involvement (three goals, two assists) of the campaign, a tally only bettered by AC Milan's Christian Pulisic (six).
The Partenopei have now gone 388 minutes without conceding a goal, and have recorded three successive clean sheets in Serie A for the first time since February 2023.
Erik ten Hag acknowledged that "indisciplined" Manchester United never recovered from a "very bad start" during their defeat by Tottenham.
The Red Devils suffered their third Premier League loss of the season, as Spurs ran out commanding 3-0 winners at Old Trafford.
United fell behind after just three minutes when Micky van de Ven ran almost the length of the field before crossing for Brennan Johnson to tap home, while Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke sealed Tottenham's victory in the second half.
And Ten Hag believes his players were deeply impacted by their early setback.
"A very bad start from us. To concede a goal after two or three minutes like that, did something to our belief," he told BBC Match of the Day.
"It was totally unnecessary to concede a goal like this, the [opposing] centre-half stepping in and passing the whole team over the right side, and then the winger tapping in at the far post.
"From that moment on, we were stressed on the ball. We were indisciplined. We could not find the triangles or the switches. We had some good moments, but from that moment, we could not get a foothold.
"We can do better than that. First, we have to deal with this and show resilience. This is not good enough."
United played over half of the game with 10 men following Bruno Fernandes' 42nd-minute red card for a high challenge on James Maddison.
Ten Hag feels the dismissal was harsh, but is confident his players can bounce back from their latest defeat.
"We had chances to come back, and then the red card changed the game," he added. "I don't think it was a red card. It was only 1-0; we could have made a comeback, and it had a big impact on the game.
"There is always a new day, and we will learn from it. My players are strong characters and we will bounce back. We have to learn from this and quickly."
Rangers manager Philippe Clement has heaped praise on Jack Butland after the goalkeeper saved a penalty to help secure a 1-0 win over Hibernian.
The hosts took the lead in the 34th minute, with Tom Lawrence whipping a delightful finish into the top-right corner after cutting inside from the left.
Hibs were handed a golden opportunity to equalise on the stroke of half-time, with John Souttar penalised for a handball following a VAR review, but Butland got down to make a brilliant save.
After the break, Cyriel Dessers was denied at point-blank range and Robin Propper twice failed to hit the target in quick succession, but Rangers' lone goal proved to be enough.
While Clement was frustrated by the penalty decision, he was quick to praise his goalkeeper's work as they held on to claim all three points.
"Jack's save was a massive moment," he told RangersTV. "I think Jack was happy as he has been less involved in the last few weeks - it's a good feeling to be important in those moments.
"For me, it wasn't clear why it was a penalty. We discussed these things before with the other managers and the referee department.
"The clean sheet is massive. We brought in Jefte, who is new, Nana Kasanwirjo has come in, and we have a new pairing at centre-backs with John and Robin Propper.
"It is not just defensively; we also have Connor Barron who is new in front of them. They haven't played together too long, but with the organisation, Jack hasn't had to make many saves.
"But when he did, he came up with a massive one and that is a top goalkeeper who keeps his concentration in the big moments."
Rangers came into this game on the back of a Europa League victory away to Malmo on Thursday.
While far from their best, Rangers still managed to claim a fourth consecutive victory in the Scottish Premiership without conceding for the first time since February 2022.
Clement admitted the quick turnaround affected his players' performances.
"The first half we played well, and we deserved the lead, although we could have scored more," he added.
"In the second half, it was more difficult, you could see the freshness going out of the legs of several players.
"We didn't get back to the training centre until 2am on Friday, and then we played at midday, so we had less freshness, so it was important to get the three points and another clean sheet."
Kieran McKenna believes Ipswich Town can take "so many positives" from their 2-2 draw against Aston Villa.
The Tractor Boys, who are back in the Premier League after 22 years away, extended their unbeaten league streak to four matches, after Liam Delap's strike secured a share of the spoils at Portman Road.
Delap had given Ipswich an eighth-minute lead, but goals from Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins saw Villa turn the match on its head just after the half-hour mark.
Nevertheless, the hosts dug deep with Delap levelling in the 72nd minute to secure their fourth successive draw, which moves them out of the relegation zone to 15th place.
And McKenna was thrilled with the character his players demonstrated.
"I think we created the better chances in the game, but when you come back from 2-1 down, a point is a good result," he said. "The team, at 2-1 down, never dropped their heads, and we were always competitive in the game.
"I thought the game had a really good flow to it with two good sides. To be competing with a team who have been together for three years with a top manager, I think there are so many positives to take for us.
"Four games unbeaten doesn't come easily in the Premier League. It is a fantastic first step, and we still feel there is a lot of improvement to come."
Villa missed the chance to move level on points with leaders Liverpool and, though disappointed with the result, Unai Emery acknowledged it was an accurate reflection on the balance of play.
"We controlled the first half better than the second half," he said. "We started the first half very well; we came back, and we controlled the game really well. But in the second half, they were pushing.
"We had our chances, but we conceded more than normal, and we didn't control things like we did in the first half. I am not happy with the point, but I have to accept it because I think it is fair."
"They always put a lot of pressure on us, and we couldn't really implement our game plan," Watkins added. "We didn't get it right in the final third. We could have been more ruthless - myself included.
"They kept putting pressure on us. They're here at home; they made runs in behind and we grinded the result out in the end."
Luke Williams feels Swansea City "suffered" for not pressing home their advantage during the 1-1 draw with Bristol City.
The spoils were shared at the Swansea.com Stadium, where Ben Cabango volleyed the hosts into a 15th-minute lead from Eom Ji-sung's corner.
However, the Swans could not extend their advantage with Ollie Cooper hitting the post, and were pegged back in the 76th minute via another corner as Jason Knight headed in Scott Twine's set-piece delivery.
Williams' side missed the chance to move up to seventh in the Championship - and within three points of leaders West Bromwich Albion - and the head coach rued his side's second-half performance.
"The first half, we looked a pretty good side and made the breakthrough, which is important," he said. "But in the second half, we were by far the worst team on the pitch.
"I think when you're 1-0 down, it's easier to throw caution to the wind and Bristol City did that really well. We missed the moments to smooth the game out, to regain control and take control, so we suffered.
"In the end, we're only just about value for a point."
Meanwhile, Robins head coach Liam Manning felt Swansea's goal should not have stood, with Ronald appearing to impede goalkeeper Max O'Leary.
"It's quite clear for me [a foul], when you see it back," he said. "I've seen it from numerous angles. Max is trying to get free, but it's hard when somebody has hold of you.
"We had a pre-season meeting with the referees and the EFL, and they said they were going to clamp down on blocking and grabbing people. Then, when you see the side-on angle on Max, you can see the shirt grabbed and the block. But you get them, or you don't get them, and it's how you respond to that.
"[The] first half, we probably conceded too much territory, we were a little bit too passive. But we put in a really strong performance in the second half."
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