Unai Emery is focusing on a new mentality for his Aston Villa side as they embark on their Champions League journey against Young Boys.

Villa are making their first appearance in Europe's top competition since 1982 on Tuesday, having previously won the competition 42 years ago. 

Emery's side will become the 11th different English club to compete in the Champions League, and the first English newcomer since Leicester in 2016-17. 

But the Spaniard has made a name for himself on the European stage, having won the Europa League on four occasions with Sevilla and Villarreal. 

However, Emery's last game in the competition came back in 2022, with his Villarreal side eliminated by Liverpool in the semi-finals of the competition. 

That particular run was the Villa head coach's best run in the tournament, and he is dreaming of going one step further with the Villains. 

"I had dreams when I arrived here to play in the Champions League and be competitive in this competition," Emery told TNT Sports, in an exclusive interview.

"But we are going to set our new mentality, our new objective. Because we are now not comfortable playing in the Premier League and being in the middle.

"We want to be competitive, get in Europe, and be consistent.

"But of course, being consistent and getting into Europe is very difficult in England because it is the hardest league in the world."

 

While reaching the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League last season, Tuesday's match against the Swiss champions will be many of the Villa squad's first taste of Champions League football. 

However, Emery has strengthened his squad with European experience in recent years. 

Pau Torres was part of Emery's side that reached the semi-finals in 2022, while Ian Maatsen played the duration of Borussia Dortmund's defeat to Real Madrid in last year's final. 

And the Spaniard is looking to those two players in particular to help his side navigate the encounter. 

"We have players with experience; Ian Maatsen played last year and he is with us now," Emery continued. 

"Other players played, Pau Torres played in a semi-final three years ago. And I am playing [coaching] in Europe for 16 years in a row.

"My experiences are very important, but the better experience we are trying to use and get is with Aston Villa, with Aston Villa players, with Aston Villa supporters.

"We are always remembering how amazing it was when they won the Champions League [European Cup] in 1982, and for us, it is very important."

One of the talking points ahead of the clash is the artificial surface at the Wankdorf Stadium.

But Emery is resolute that his players will not be using that as an excuse and will adapt to what they encounter.

"We have to accept and we have to adapt to the pitches we are playing," Emery concluded.  

"Of course, usually we are playing on normal pitches, here it is synthetic. But we are going to try to adapt quickly and know what the difference is with the pitch."

Arne Slot hit back at critics following his first defeat as Liverpool head coach but is relishing his first Champions League game in charge of the Reds against Milan. 

After starting his Liverpool tenure with three wins from three, Slot's side were beaten 1-0 by Nottingham Forest last weekend upon their return from the international break. 

It marked the Dutchman's first loss since replacing Jurgen Klopp, with Forest securing their first triumph at Anfield since 1969. 

Slot named an unchanged team for the fourth consecutive game since taking over at Liverpool against Forest, with many questioning his decision to do so. 

But speaking ahead of their encounter at the San Siro on Tuesday, Slot doubled down on his selection policy during his early tenure on Merseyside. 

"If rotation would be the reason why you didn't win a game, then last Saturday probably wouldn't be the first game I lost in 2024," Slot said. 

"It's too simple to put this loss on rotation, I think it was because too many players didn't reach their normal level. The playing style of the opponent made it really difficult.

"When you don't win, you try and look at as many possible reasons why, but I preferred to look back at what we did well and what we didn't do well.

"We could have done a lot better in things that were not related to rotation, but again it's not possible to say what would have happened if I did rotate.

"Now I can do something about rotation in the upcoming games but before the weekend they were with the national team.

"For me this loss didn't have anything to do with rotation, it was the opponent and too many players not bringing what they can bring."

Slot takes charges of his first game in the Champions League as Liverpool boss, but has struggled in the competition away from home. 

The Dutchman has lost all three of his away games in the tournament, with each of those coming in the group stage with Feyenoord last season.  

However, Slot's former side did have the second-best shot differential away from home in last season’s group stage (+19 – 48 for and 29 against), while only Man City (24) faced fewer shots on the road.

The fixture will also come on Slot's 46th birthday, with the Liverpool head coach hopeful of getting the perfect present from his players.

"I think it is the first time that my birthday is not so important tomorrow!', Slot said.

"It's a big game also for me, but it's a big game for us too because it's the first game [of the Champions League] and it's the next game and the next game is always the most important one, as you know.

"But because of the history that these two teams have and the venue where it's played in - it's one to look forward to."

Slot was also able to provide an update on Federico Chiesa, who is yet to feature since his switch from Juventus in the transfer window. 

Chiesa offers Slot an experienced option against the Serie A side, having notched seven goal involvements (three goals and four assists) in the 13 games he has played against Milan. 

But the Dutchman confirmed that any involvement for the Italy international will likely be from the bench. 

"He is, for the first time, in our team selection," Slot said. 

"And since I said it's the first time he's in our team selection it would be a big surprise for him and for everyone if he would start tomorrow.

"I don’t think you should expect that he starts but he can make a few minutes for the first time tomorrow if we need him. That is something we will see tomorrow.

"For the first time with us and don’t expect him to be there in the starting line-up because he has been with Juve training on his own for a long time.

"It is too early for him to play 90, but hopefully he can make his first minutes in the upcoming fixtures."

England will continue to take a cautious approach to managing Jofra Archer's workload during the upcoming five-match One Day International (ODI) series against Australia. The Barbados-born fast bowler, who has been steadily reintroduced to international cricket following a series of injuries, will be closely monitored throughout the series, according to a report from ESPN Cricinfo.

Archer's return to the international stage has been managed with great care this year. After making his comeback with two T20 Internationals against Pakistan in May, he featured in all eight of England's matches during June's T20 World Cup, where he emerged as their joint-highest wicket-taker. However, since then, his playing time has been carefully limited. He did not play at all for Sussex in the latter half of the T20 Blast's group stages and was given intermittent rest periods during The Hundred, much to the frustration of Southern Brave captain James Vince.

Since The Hundred, Archer has only played two matches: a T20 Blast quarter-final for Sussex and one T20I for England against Australia, where he showcased his skill at the death by clean-bowling Sean Abbott and Xavier Bartlett in consecutive deliveries. He was rested for the second T20I in Cardiff, and the series decider was washed out by rain in Manchester. Despite these limited appearances, Archer has consistently proven why England has invested heavily in his recovery and return.

Archer is now part of England's 15-man squad for the ODI series against Australia, starting in Nottingham. However, given that he has not played a 50-over game in the last 18 months, he may be rested for one or two matches in the series. England is taking a gradual approach to increasing his workload, especially considering his long-term ambitions to return to red-ball cricket. Archer has not played a first-class match since May 2021 due to his persistent back and elbow issues.

"Jofra will have to be managed throughout the series," England captain Jos Buttler told Sky Sports on Sunday. "He's played a really good stint now of T20 cricket, but obviously you can only bowl four overs in there. There's a jump in intensity getting loads up to taking full part in an ODI - and of course, as an England fan, to push those loads up hopefully to get back into the Test arena as well."

England's interim coach, Marcus Trescothick, echoed Buttler's sentiments, emphasizing that Archer is aware of and comfortable with the long-term plan to manage his workload. "He knows the plan," Trescothick said. "It's discussed long in advance of picking the team on each day. We know what we're doing with him, and where we're going. He's comfortable: he knows what he's doing."

Trescothick further explained that managing Archer's workload is part of a broader strategy, involving coordination between the coaching staff, team directors, and medical personnel. "That's a bigger structure, in terms of what we're trying to do with Jofra. You come into the series knowing what we've got and what we can do with him. That's an agreed plan between the coaches, directors, physios, and all the different people. We'll still be managing him [in the ODIs] - exactly the same thing."

England's cautious approach to Archer's reintegration into international cricket reflects the value they place on his long-term fitness. With Archer having already shown glimpses of his match-winning capabilities, his careful management during the ODI series against Australia aims to ensure he remains a key asset for England in all formats of the game for years to come.

 

 

The Carolina Panthers are making a quarterback change following their 0-2 start, benching 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick Bryce Young in favour of veteran Andy Dalton for Sunday’s road matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Young has struggled mightily in his NFL career after Carolina acquired the top overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft from the Chicago Bears and used it to pick the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner out of the University of Alabama.

The 23-year-old Young has gone 2-16 in 18 starts while completing 59.3 percent of his pass attempts and throwing for 3,122 yards with 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions for a passer rating of 70.9.

Since the beginning of the 2023 season, Young’s completion percentage is the worst among qualifying quarterbacks and his passer rating ranks second-to-last.

The decision by first-year Panthers coach Dave Canales to switch quarterbacks comes after Young posted a 44.1 rating and passed for 245 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions in a pair of losses to open 2024.

Carolina has been outscored 73-13 and scored just one touchdown on a three-yard run by Young in Week 1.

Dalton started in Week 3 last season with Young out due to an ankle injury and threw for 361 yards with two touchdowns in a 37-27 loss at the Seattle Seahawks.

Six weeks shy of his 37th birthday, Dalton ranks 26th in NFL history with 38,511 passing yards and 28th with 246 touchdowns through the air.

Vincent Kompany is dreaming of leading Bayern Munich to the Champions League final at the Allianz Arena ahead of their meeting with Dinamo Zagreb. 

Kompany, who replaced Thomas Tuchel as Bayern's head coach in May, has made an impressive start to life with the 33-time Bundesliga champions. 

Harry Kane's hat-trick helped Bayern stay perfect after they thrashed newly promoted outfit Holstein Kiel 6-1 on Saturday to move two points clear at the top.

But their attentions now turn to the Champions League, a competition they reached the semi-finals in last year, losing to eventual winners Real Madrid. 

It was their best run in the tournament since they lifted their sixth title in the 2019-20 season, going on to complete a historic sextuple later that year. 

With the added incentive of the showpiece fixture taking place on home soil next May, Kompany wants his side to start their campaign on the right foot.

"The dream is there for the final next year in Munich. Our fans can dream," Kompany said. "The main thing is for me that we show it on the pitch tomorrow.

"We have a tough game tomorrow, and it is important to play well and win tomorrow. 

"We hope fans can dream for a long time. We need total focus from the first to the last minute."

Bayern previously reached a Champions League final at their own stadium back in the 2011-12 season but lost on penalties to Roberto Di Matteo's Chelsea.

Ahead of kick-off, Bayern revealed that defender Sacha Boey would be sidelined for several weeks after being injured in training on Sunday. 

The French right-back underwent meniscus surgery on his left knee, serving a huge blow for Kompany after the 24-year-old started the campaign strongly.

Boey notched an assist during Bayern's opening day win over Wolfsburg, but Kompany said he has solutions ready to replace the injured defender.

"We have our thoughts of how to replace Sacha tomorrow, and we have solutions," Kompany said.

"It is a shame for Sacha because he was in good form and I hope he is back as soon as possible.

"We have time tonight and tomorrow to discuss the situation, but we have answers."

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank confirmed striker Yoane Wissa will be sidelined for "a couple of months" after picking up an ankle injury against Manchester City. 

Wissa, who netted the fastest ever goal that Brentford have scored in the Premier League against the champions on Saturday, hobbled off in first half injury time. 

The DR Congo international was on the receiving end of a heavy challenge by City midfielder Mateo Kovacic and is expected to return to action in November. 

It serves as a significant blow for Frank, with Wissa having been directly involved in 10 goals across his last nine appearances in the top-flight for the Bees. 

"Wissa is, unfortunately, not good news - it looks like an injury that will be a couple of months," Frank said.

"It's very frustrating. We talked about our many injuries last year - I hope I don't have to talk too much about it this year. I maybe already have.

"We were unlucky with Igor [Thiago], unlucky with [Aaron] Hickey. We've then had two contact injuries with Mathias Jensen and Yoane Wissa, so that's very frustrating.

"But that's part of football - we move on and we will find solutions."

Following the departure of Ivan Toney to Al-Ahli during the transfer window, Wissa has stepped up with three goals in the Brentford's four Premier League games. 

The 28-year-old has outperformed his expected goals (xG) tally by 0.57 so far this term, while his four chances created is a total only bettered by Mathias Jensen (six) and Bryan Mbeumo (10) in the Brentford squad. 

But with striker and record signing Igor Thiago also out injured and not expected to return until the end of the year, Frank acknowledged the enormity of the gap he needed to fill in Wissa's absence.

"Everybody was saying we bought Igor Thiago to replace Ivan [Toney] - but we still had Wissa," Frank concluded.

"We bought Igor Thiago to build the squad and provide competition in the squad.

"Wissa had a very good season last year and I thought he has started the season very well this year, with three goals in four games - that's a very good number.

"He's just been very important for us and that's going to leave a hole. But, again, I will find a solution."

Jamaica’s Valentino Evans reached the Round of 16 of both the U-14 Kata Male and U14 Kumite Male at the 2024 Pan American Karate Foundation (PKF) Cadet, Junior and U21 Championships held from August 26 to September 1 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Evans was beaten by Chilean Joaquin Ballestero in the Kata category before losing to Brazil’s Arthur Galante in the Kumite Male -40kg category.

The youngster won two medals at the Caribbean Karate Championships in Curacao in July.

He took bronze in the 12-13 Kata before going two better with gold in the 12-13 Kumite, his second straight Kumite gold after winning it in the 10-11 section at the 2023 Caribbean karate Championships in Santo Domingo.

He also won Kata silver at last year’s championships.

 

Daniel Ricciardo revealed his desire to experience the world of motorsport as his 13-year Formula One career hangs in the balance ahead of the 2025 season. 

Ricciardo, who has raced for five different teams in F1, is yet to find out whether he will race for RB next year. 

The Australian and team-mate Yuki Tsunoda were considered the favourites to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull until the Mexican signed a new two-year deal.

Red Bull is a team Ricciardo knows well, of course.

Ricciardo has won eight F1 races during his career, seven of which came with the Austrian-based team before his move to Renault in 2019.

Across his 257 race entries, the 35-year-old has also claimed 1,329 points and 32 podiums, but Ricciardo has been unable to get close to the top three in recent times. 

The Australian has not stood on the podium since his last victory at the Italian Grand Prix in 2021, picking up just 55 points over the last three seasons for an RB team who have struggled to emerge from the midfield places in a competitive grid.

Ricciardo finds himself 14th in the drivers' championship this term, with his best finish coming at the Canadian Grand Prix in June, where he finished eighth. 

With time potentially running out on his F1 career heading into the final seven races of the 2024 season, Ricciardo kept his options open as to what may come next. 

“I mean there's things I would like to try and experience," Ricciardo said in an interview with Tourism Western Australia ahead of the release of his new film 'Drive the Dream 2.0'.

"I don't know, let's say on a competitive level, I grew up a fan of NASCAR. I'd like to drive a NASCAR. I'd love to drive around Daytona, for example.

"But would I like to compete? Yes and no, but I also know that, it's not what I grew up doing, and I'll probably get smoked so like, I don't know if I need that!

"I would love to experience it. I love motorbikes. I love MotoGP. I would love to try a MotoGP bike, but I would be very, very slow and probably horrendous. Just like, all in my own time.

"And actually Bathurst, if it's, obviously okay, it's the V8 that does the race there, but you know there's the 12 hour and stuff, so maybe that's one I could compete in.

"If a V8 team said 'hey, do you want to do a few laps around Bathurst, no pressure, just to experience it', then I'll definitely take that up."

Paulo Fonseca believes Milan's Champions League opener against Liverpool is the perfect opportunity to show the team's progress under his stewardship. 

Fonseca, who arrived at the San Siro from Lille in July, picked up his first Serie A victory for the Rossoneri on Saturday with a 4-0 rout of Venezia. 

All four goals came in the first 30 minutes of that encounter, the first time Milan had done so in a league match since October 1958 against Alessandria. 

Milan welcome a familiar foe in the competition in Liverpool on Tuesday, with the pair having squared off in the 2005 and 2007 finals, both winning one apiece.

The Italian side also faced the Reds in the Champions League group stage in the 2021-22 season but lost on both occasions as Liverpool reached the showpiece match, only to lose 1-0 to Real Madrid.

But Liverpool come into the contest off the back of a shock 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest at the weekend, the first defeat of the Arne Slot era. 

However, Fonseca insisted that despite their opponents' latest result, his side must eradicate their own mistakes and be defensively perfect to kickstart their campaign with a victory. 

"I think Liverpool is one of the strongest teams in Europe. They have a good game and strong individuals," Fonseca said.

"We have to be perfect defensively, you cannot make mistakes.

"I see it as an opportunity to show our progress. It will lead us to do different things... but also to prove our worth.

"I am sure it will. The support of our fans is always important for us. Tomorrow it will be like that, we want to feel their love."

Milan's new signing and Euro 2024 winning captain, Alvaro Morata, is also expecting a difficult test against Liverpool on Tuesday. 

Morata returned to action as a second half substitute against Venezia after missing two games with a back injury after marking his debut with a goal against Torino. 

The Spaniard also has an impressive record against Liverpool, failing to lose in his five appearances against them (won three and drawn two) while also scoring once. 

"It will be a great challenge, we have so many different players, and we have to fix so many mechanisms, only time will tell," Morata said.

"Ever since you arrive at a club like this you dream of playing with Liverpool in the Champions League, it could even be a semi-final, it's strange that we play right away.

"There is so much desire. These are the games that make sporting history." 

Thiago Motta is confident that new signing Teun Koopmeiners will excel is included in their Champions League opener against PSV.

The 26-year-old has featured in two games for Juventus since joining from Europa League winners Atalanta for €54million in August.

Koopmeiners, who missed out on a place at Euro 2024 with the Netherlands due to a muscle injury, has played just 135 minutes so far, but has created the third-most chances out of the Juve players (four).

And Motta said the Dutchman has already gelled well with his team-mates in training and expects him to make an impact if he is involved.

"It doesn't look like he hasn't trained for a month. He's integrating very well," Motta told reporters. 

"He's trying to put all his qualities at the disposal of the team. Everyone who is called up tomorrow is doing very well.

"We expect everything we expect from the rest of the team. If he plays tomorrow, he will perform great. Together with his teammates, he can do great things."

Motta joined as head coach in June and will become the 10th different manager to take charge of Juventus in the Champions League.

The Italian is looking forward to leading the team in the competition after they were banned last year for breaching licencing and Financial Fair Play rules.

"Great pride to start this competition. Then we play at home against a good team," Motta added. 

"I can't wait to start the match. We want to put in a great performance to bring the result on our side."

Juve had a busy transfer window with Koopmeiners the most high-profile of several arrivals, including fellow midfielders Douglas Luiz and Khephren Thuram plus left-back Juan Cabal.

However, the 42-year-old Motta remained tight-lipped on whether he would give chances to several debutants after a goalless draw with Empoli in Serie A on Saturday.

"Everything counts in football - experience, enthusiasm and desire. At Empoli, we played well without getting the result we wanted. Now it's a closed chapter," he added.

Juve midfielder Manuel Locatelli also said the draw at Empoli made them "angry, but it's a closed chapter", and they are looking forward to their game in Europe's top competition.

"Last year we missed it a lot. We are excited, and we can't wait to get on the pitch. Hearing the music is special, and the fans will give us a hand," the Italy international said.

"We have signed strong midfielders with a lot of quality and experience who raise the level of the team. It is a pleasure to play with them".

The Premier League is back after the international break, with plenty more thrills and spills to keep everyone entertained.

Manchester United got back to winning ways with a sweeping 3-0 win over Southampton, while Nottingham Forest stunned Liverpool at Anfield.

Manchester City continued their perfect start with a comeback win over Brentford, and on Sunday Arsenal claimed bragging rights in the North London derby.

But who were the lucky winners and the unlucky losers to emerge from this weekend's set of fixtures, according to the underlying metrics?

With the help of Opta data, let's find out.

Lucky winners: Nottingham Forest

Liverpool had made a perfect start to life under Arne Slot and were yet to concede a goal heading into matchday 4, but after a two-week break, things were not quite as rosy.

The Tricky Trees had faced 26 strikes before Callum Hudson-Odoi's long-range effort curled beyond Alisson, ending a 55-year wait for a Forest win at Anfield.

Forest managed just five shots in the game, creating an expected goals (xG) of 0.44, with Hudson-Odoi's strike only contributing 0.07 to that. They also managed just five touches in the opposition box.

Liverpool may not have been at their high-flying best, but they had 34 touches in the opposition area and had 14 attempts on Forest's goal but could not find a way through a well-drilled Nuno Espirito Santo side as Slot got his first taste of defeat in the job.

Unlucky losers: Brighton

Technically, Brighton were not 'losers' as they continued their unbeaten start to the season with a 0-0 draw with Ipswich Town.

But based on the metrics, they were unlucky not to come away with three points against the newly promoted side.

The Seagulls had a whopping 21 shots at the Amex Stadium, but accumulated just 1.66 xG, and only managed to test Arijanet Muric on six occasions despite their continued dominance.

 

They also had three big chances, from which players would have been anticipated to do better, but Kaoru Mitoma and Georginio Rutter failed to convert them as Fabian Hurzeler's side endured a frustrating day.

Lucky winners: Arsenal

Most Arsenal fans will not care how the victory over rivals Tottenham happened, just that they came away from the visit with three points, but the Gunners were savvy in their victory.

Indeed, Arsenal's two lowest possession averages (on record) in a Premier League game against Spurs have both come in 2024, with Sunday’s match their lowest total (36.3%).

Mikel Arteta's side did create a slightly higher xG (0.74 to 0.71), but from a much lower shot count as they only had seven attempts on Spurs’ goal, with Gabriel Magalhaes’ close-range header worth 0.23 xG.

It was Arsenal's lowest xG of the season so far (0.87 xG on MD2 is second), but their clinical edge proved the difference against a wasteful Spurs.

Unlucky losers: Fulham

Like Brighton, Fulham do not class as losers as they drew 1-1 with West Ham, but Marco Silva will be disappointed to have let the three points slip from their grasp. 

Raul Jimenez's goal looked to have earned them a second win of the season until Danny Ings' clinical finish denied them.

Fulham were another of the teams to have 21 shots this weekend, the joint-most along with the Seagulls, though their 1.54 xG came in slightly lower, despite creating four big chances, of which they squandered three.

West Ham had only accumulated 0.52 xG until Ings' intervention, pushing it up to 0.76 with their third and last shot on target, condemning the Cottagers to a second consecutive draw.

The Kansas City Chiefs will place leading rusher Isiah Pacheco on injured reserve due to a fractured fibula sustained in Sunday’s 26-25 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Pacheco’s right foot got trapped underneath him, and he was bent backwards while being tackled. He exited in the final minute of the game and was seen in a walking boot with crutches leaving the stadium.

A seventh-round pick in 2022, Pacheco rushed for 135 yards and a touchdown and caught seven passes for 54 yards in helping the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs win their first two games.

Pacheco led Kansas City with 830 rushing yards and five TDs on the ground as a rookie in 2022 and did so again last season with 935 rushing yards and seven rushing scores.

Carson Steele and Samaje Perine are expected to lead the way in Kansas City’s backfield with Pacheco sidelined.

George Russell was left surprised after his podium finish at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday, but tempered Mercedes' expectations for the rest of the season. 

Russell, who started fifth on the grid in Baku, inherited third place on the penultimate lap of proceedings after Sergio Perez's collision with Carlos Sainz. 

The Briton claimed his third podium for Mercedes this season, while team-mate Lewis Hamilton made it double points for the Silver Arrows after finishing ninth. 

Russell moved level with Red Bull's Perez in the drivers' championship and is now 23 points behind Hamilton ahead of the final seven races. 

However, Russell acknowledged where Mercedes ranked in the pecking order at the end of a tricky weekend that saw the team complete two power unit changes.

“Definitely surprised,” Russell said about his podium finish. “I think there was so much hard work this weekend for everybody in the team.

"There were engine changes on my side, engine changes for Lewis, so much going on, everybody was working so hard.

“We had a really bad start to the race. I was dropping off a lot, but on the hard tyre I think we were one of the quickest out there and that was great.

"Got past Max, so an added bonus to stand on the podium.

“I mean we’ve got to be realistic still. We should’ve finished fifth today. That was the true result.

"Obviously, with Lando [Norris’] qualifying yesterday, he probably would’ve been up there as well, so I don’t want to get carried away with ourselves with this podium today.

"We’ve got a lot of work to do. Hopefully, Singapore’s a slightly better weekend.”

As for Hamilton, having taken on a raft of new power unit components after qualifying, he was resigned to a long afternoon after his pit lane start.

He made up plenty of ground early on, and again after his pit stop, but spent much of the latter part of the race battling Franco Colapinto and Oliver Bearman.

Colapinto impressed in just his second race for Williams, scoring four points after finishing in eighth, while team-mate Alex Albon finished one place in front. 

And Bearman, who replaced the suspended Kevin Magnussen for Haas, completed the top 10, which came with a record-breaking achievement. 

The 19-year-old became the first driver to score points for two different teams in his first two Formula One races, having made his debut in March for Ferrari as a last-minute replacement for Sainz at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, finishing in seventh. 

Seven-time world champion Hamilton showered praise on the two rookies after the race, with the Briton, who will be replaced by youngster Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes next season, insisting the future is bright for the sport. 

“Today was a difficult race,” Hamilton said.

"“We had a good day on Friday, but the rest of the weekend was tough. We made some changes heading into Saturday that didn’t work out, but we had to live with them.

“We also knew it would be challenging to overtake today. Despite the long straight, it is hard to follow through the second sector.

"Franco Colapinto and Oliver Bearman, who I was racing for a lot of the afternoon, did such a great job.

"It is great to see the youngsters like them coming through and doing so well. For their first and second races, it was very impressive.”

Carlo Ancelotti expects to have several players back from injury in time for Real Madrid's Champions League opener against Stuttgart on Tuesday.

Jude Bellingham, Aurelien Tchouameni and Eder Militao are set to be available for the match at the Santiago Bernabeu, despite the Brazilian missing training as he required an extra day to recover fully.

Madrid won their record-extending 15th Champions League title last season, beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the final to get their hands on the trophy.

Los Blancos were a force to be reckoned with in the competition last year, and were only behind for 7% of their total match time in the Champions League last season; the lowest percentage of any team.

Former mainstays Nacho, Joselu and the now-retired Toni Kroos are no longer part of the squad, and Madrid will also be without Eduardo Camavinga through injury.

However, Ancelotti said he was excited to start their title defence with "the best player in the world" Kylian Mbappe.

"Yes, we lost Nacho and Kroos, two of our most important players. And Joselu. In exchange, one of the best players in the world is coming. Do we have a better squad than last year? I think so," Ancelotti told reporters on Monday.

Meanwhile, it was Carvajal, who scored the opening goal in their triumph over Dortmund, who confirmed Bellingham's involvement, noting his importance to the side.

"Jude's return is fantastic news for us. We know what he contributes with and without the ball," defender Dani Carvajal said.

"We demand much more from ourselves and tomorrow is a new opportunity to continue growing."

All three European club competitions have been expanded to 36 teams this season and Ancelotti's side will also be taking part in the expanded men's 32-team Club World Cup, starting next June in the United States.

Forward Brahim Diaz was the latest player to be sidelined in a slew of injuries, and Ancelotti said their gruelling schedule was to blame.

"The calendar is too demanding. A new competition is coming, and we don't know how it will turn out," he added.

"It may or may not be more entertaining. The fact is that we have two more games in this competition."

The Italian, who has won the Champions League five times as a manager and twice as a player, said the competition holds a place above all else in his heart.

"For me this competition is very special, not only for the club. But it's not just that, it's the day-to-day work to get there," he said.

"The [Champions League] will always be the same even if they change the format a little and [its relation with] Real Madrid, the same. This [year] is going to be another [chance] at history and I hope we can reach the final like last year."

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