Chelsea have been drawn to face Braga or Servette in the Europa Conference League play-off round later this month.

The Blues will feature in UEFA's third-tier club competition in their first season under Enzo Maresca, after Manchester United's FA Cup triumph saw them take England's final Europa League place.

Portuguese side Braga and Swiss Super League outfit Servette face off in the first leg of their Europa League third qualifying round tie on Thursday, with the second leg taking place on August 15.

The loser of that tie will drop into the Conference League and face Chelsea for a spot in the group stage of that competition.

Stamford Bridge will host the first leg of that tie on August 22, with the return fixture taking place one week later.

Meanwhile, Rangers will face either Salzburg or FC Twente in the Champions League play-off round if they beat Dynamo Kyiv in the third qualifying round.

Philippe Clement's men go to Poland for the first leg of that tie on Tuesday, with Hampden Park hosting the second leg next week, due to delays in getting Ibrox ready for the new campaign. 

Paris Saint-Germain have completed the signing of Joao Neves from Benfica.

The 19-year-old joins the Ligue 1 champions in a move worth up to €70million, putting pen to paper on a five-year contract.

He signed for Benfica in 2016, moving through the youth ranks before making his first-team debut in December 2022, helping the team to win the Primera Liga in 2022-23.

Last season, Neves established himself as a first-team regular, making 33 appearances, netting three goals, and creating 25 chances in the Portuguese top-flight.

"I'm very proud to be joining Paris Saint-Germain, a very ambitious club," Neves said.

"I'm going to give my all to help my team-mates, to grow at this fantastic club and to win numerous titles."

Neves is PSG's second signing of the transfer window, after goalkeeper Matvey Safonov's arrival in June.

Rodri deserves to be in contention to win the Ballon d'Or and has revolutionised the way people look at holding midfielders, believes Lucas Leiva.

Rodri enjoyed another magnificent campaign in 2023-24 as Manchester City retained their Premier League crown, then was named Player of the Tournament as Spain won Euro 2024. 

The 28-year-old played 50 matches for City across all competitions last term, with Pep Guardiola's team only losing one of those games – versus Manchester United in May's FA Cup final.

He also contributed eight goals and nine assists in the Premier League last term, both of which represent his best figures in any league campaign. 

At Euro 2024, he ranked seventh among all players for open-play passes (430) and fifth for open-play passes in the opposition half (255) as La Roja won their record-breaking fourth European title.

While former Liverpool midfielder Lucas expects Rodri to face fierce competition from Real Madrid pair Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior, he feels the Spaniard deserves to be considered among the world's finest players. 

"A midfield player, especially a holding midfield player, normally it is not a position that people look at so much. But it is an important role for the team," he told Stats Perform.

"It's a position where you give balance to the team. You allow people to get forward, but you also give protection to the defence. You start everything from that role. 

"So, [Sergio] Busquets and now Rodri are playing a big part with Man City, but also with Spain. We could see that at the Euros. 

"Of course, Rodri is one of the favourites to win the Ballon d'Or, but I would probably say another two players: Bellingham and Vinicius. I think those three will challenge for the Ballon d'Or, and we'll have to wait and see. 

"Of course, Rodri deserves it, but Bellingham and Vinicius deserve it as well for what they've done with Real Madrid and with their national teams, especially Bellingham getting to the [Euros] final. 

"We will have to wait and see. But I'm happy to see a holding midfielder on the shortlist because it's a position that people don't look at too much.

"People are starting to appreciate it a little bit more."

Liverpool boss Arne Slot says acquiring a top-class defensive midfielder is not the Reds' only concern as they continue to await their first signing of the transfer window.

Liverpool are the only club in the Premier League yet to make a signing ahead of Slot's first season at the helm, following close to nine years under Jurgen Klopp. 

Klopp's final season in charge saw the Reds implement a midfield rebuild, with Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch arriving.

However, as Liverpool's title challenge fell away in the final weeks of the season, pundits questioned why they had not replaced Fabinho following his move to Al-Ittihad. 

Klopp's side conceded more goals (41), allowed more expected goals against (46.18 xGA) and faced more shots (414) than eventual champions Manchester City or runners-up Arsenal, and they have continued to be linked with a move for a defensive midfielder.

Slot, however, has pointed out there are several positions in which they are keen to strengthen, saying: "I think Ryan Gravenberch did really well in that position and we have other options as well. 

"The best way to judge it is when we have all the players back and we still haven't.

"But a club like Liverpool always keeps its eye open to see what's available, players that can strengthen the squad and that is what we – [sporting director] Richard [Hughes] mostly –are looking to do but that is not particular to one position. 

"We constantly evaluate the squad, where can we do something and what do we have?"

Trent Alexander-Arnold played a hybrid role for much of Klopp's final season, drifting into a central midfield position from his usual right-back role.

He is one of several players to see their futures questioned since Klopp's departure, but Slot is certain he will play a key role for the Reds in 2024-25.

"We didn't speak about his commitment," Slot says. "We only spoke about the way I wanted him to play and how he could fit into that style. 

"He was mainly focused on the Euros at the moment we spoke and I saw some clips showing me that he looks really fit and sharp. I can't wait to see him train.

"But some others did quite well, so it is interesting to see if the others come back then the level goes up even more.

"We have a good platform to build from and not just because of this tour. Jurgen left this squad in a very good place, I said that before. Now it is up to us to keep performing like Liverpool did for so many years."

Atalanta have confirmed striker Gianluca Scamacca has ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee.

Scamacca was substituted 50 minutes into Atalanta's 4-1 friendly defeat to Parma on Sunday, La Dea's penultimate pre-season outing before they face Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup on August 14.

The striker enjoyed a fine season upon his return to Serie A in 2023-24, following a frustrating one-year spell with West Ham.

He scored 19 goals and provided eight assists last term as Atalanta finished fourth in Serie A and won the Europa League. 

In Serie A, Scamacca scored 11 times from chances worth just 6.54 expected goals (xG), with only Lautaro Martinez (+6.36) and Teun Koopmeiners (+5.47) overperforming their underlying figures by a greater margin than him (+5.46).

The Italy international will undergo surgery on Monday ahead of an extended period on the sidelines.

A club statement read: "Following a clinical consultation with Professor Pierpaolo Mariani at the Villa Stuart Clinic in Rome, Gianluca Scamacca underwent diagnostic tests which revealed an anterior cruciate ligament rupture in his left knee.

"This afternoon, Monday, August 5, the footballer will undergo arthroscopic surgery. Professor Mariani himself will carry out the operation."

Xavi Simons will return to RB Leipzig for 2024-25 after the Bundesliga side agreed another season-long loan deal with his parent club Paris Saint-Germain.

Simons enjoyed an impressive campaign on loan at Leipzig in 2023-24, contributing eight goals and 11 assists as Marco Rose's men finished fourth.

Bayer Leverkusen's Alex Grimaldo was the only player in the Bundesliga to better that latter figure, while only Kevin Stoger (127), Franck Honorat (89) and Julian Brandt (80) bettered his 79 chances created.

He was linked with the likes of Manchester United and Bayern Munich after returning to the French capital, but Leipzig have now moved to bring him back to Germany.

A statement from the club read: "Speculation surrounding Xavi's future can finally be put to rest, with the Netherlands international returning to the Red Bulls for the new season. 

"RB Leipzig will loan the 21-year-old from French giants Paris Saint-Germain for another year."

Simons could face his parent club in a pre-season friendly on Saturday, with Leipzig taking on PSG on home soil ahead of their DFB-Pokal clash with Essen one week later.

The Dutchman is the third signing made by Leipzig ahead of the 2024-25 season, following the acquisitions of goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt and midfielder Assan Ouedraogo.

Carlo Ancelotti insisted "nothing changes" for Jude Bellingham despite Kylian Mbappe's arrival at Real Madrid.

Mbappe officially completed his long-awaited move to Madrid in July, after leaving Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent.

However, the 25-year-old's signing has raised some question marks over how Ancelotti fits his star attackers into the side.

One of those doubts is over Bellingham, who thrived in an attacking role at the tip of a midfield diamond last season, scoring 23 goals.

But while Madrid's system may change, Bellingham's importance to the team will not, says Ancelotti.

"Nothing changes for him. Nothing changes," he told reporters.

"The first season, he surprised a lot, because he showed fantastic quality, a really mature guy.

"The next season will not be different. He is going to be one of the best players that we have, supporting the team a lot with his quality."

Bellingham has not yet returned to Madrid's camp following his exploits with England at Euro 2024, with the 21-year-old having scored twice as the Three Lions reached the final, which they lost 2-1 to Spain.

And Ancelotti was surprised that Bellingham, and England in general, came in for some criticism for the performances in Germany.

"This is an opinion but Bellingham played really well at the Euros," said the Italian.

"England played really well, they reached the final and were close to winning it."

Madrid, who lost 2-1 to Barcelona over the weekend, face Chelsea in a pre-season friendly this week.

One Chelsea player who lined up for Madrid last term was goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who joined on loan as cover for the injured Thibaut Courtois.

Ancelotti, though, does not think Arrizabalaga will be returning to the Santiago Bernabeu.

He said: "In that position, we are covered.

"Kepa did really well last season. We were really happy to have him here, but I don't know what’s going to happen this season. We love him."

Dominic Solanke missed Bournemouth's friendly with Rayo Vallecano due to injury, Cherries head coach Andoni Iraola insisted amid transfer links to Tottenham.

Ange Postecoglou has made clear his desire to sign a striker in this transfer window, with Solanke reportedly a target from Premier League rivals Bournemouth.

Speculation ramped up after the Cherries forward, who is said to have a £65million release clause, was not named in their squad for Sunday's pre-season friendly with LaLiga's Rayo.

Yet Iraola explained the 26-year-old was absent due to a training injury, rather than a progression in any transfer movement with Postecoglou's Spurs.

"Someone stamped on his foot yesterday and we are not going to risk him in a pre-season friendly, and I hope he is going to play in the next game against Girona," Iraola said after his side's 1-0 win.

"[It's] nothing big, just that he couldn't put the boot on, and we decided obviously to [not risk him]. Even with other players, I hope they can play against Girona and we can see them. They are really close, they had some small issues, like Justin Kluivert and Lewis Cook. 

"With so many players and so many games it doesn't make sense to take any risks and we decided like this."

Solanke scored 19 times in last season's Premier League, a club record for Bournemouth in the competition, with that form catching the eye of clubs.

Iraola has no intention of parting ways with his star striker, though, as he reaffirmed the reasons for his omission.

"It's not in my control. I tell you what has happened and I've seen it happen. It's the reality," Iraola said when asked on the perceptions around Solanke's absence.

"It'll probably make it bigger, but the truth is Dom came today. We decided it doesn't make any sense to risk him in a friendly.

"It's not a big injury, I'm not worried because he will be fine in three of four days."

Iraola will hope Solanke recovers in time for Bournemouth's league opener away to Nottingham Forest on August 17.

Pau Victor scored twice as Barcelona maintained their unbeaten record in pre-season, beating rivals Real Madrid 2-1 to give Hansi Flick his maiden El Clasico triumph. 

Victor scored twice either side of half-time with two instinctive finishes inside the area, with Nico Paz scoring late on for Madrid to set up a nervy final 10 minutes. 

But Barca, who beat Manchester City on penalties earlier this week, were able to hold on in front of a sell-out crowd in New York. 

The game was suspended for an hour after a wild storm around MetLife Stadium and when play continued, Barcelona showed Real why they won't have it all their own way in La Liga again this season.

Despite Madrid dominating possession, their opponents created the better chances and took the lead three minutes before the break when Robert Lewandowski's header found Victor to finish from close range. 

The 22-year-old would grab his second of the game in the 54th minute, sliding in to bundle Alex Valle's teasing delivery beyond the grasp of Thibaut Courtois. 

Carlo Ancelotti's side would get themselves on the scoresheet eight minutes from time when Arda Guler's corner kick found an unmarked Paz to head the ball home. 

Madrid pushed to find an equaliser with Vinicius Junior going close, but Barcelona were able to hold on to take the first El Clasico of the season. 

Data Debrief: Victor to replace Lewandowski up front?

Having scored eight goals less than Madrid in La Liga last season, Barcelona are keen for more firepower, and they may have found the answer in Victor. 

The Spaniard impressed again for Flick's side, registering the most shots (six), most shots on target (four), and touches in the opposition box (five) than anyone on the pitch.

Barcelona ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) tally of 2.52, with Victor contributing 1.57 to that total during his impressive showing. 

Liverpool concluded their pre-season tour of the United States in style, producing a commanding 3-0 win over rivals Manchester United in South Carolina. 

Fabio Carvalho and Curtis Jones gave Arne Slot's side a two-goal advantage at the break, with Kostas Tsimikas sealing the triumph just after the hour mark. 

Erik ten Hag will have work to do ahead of their Community Shield fixture with Manchester City next week, having won just twice from their five pre-season encounters. 

Liverpool took control of the contest early on, with their dominance rewarded in the 10th minute when Carvalho found the net with a low left-footed finish inside the area. 

The Reds continued to create chances and were given their rewards nine minutes before the break as Mohamed Salah teed up Jones for a simple finish.

Slot's side confirmed three wins from their three games Stateside in impressive fashion as a free-flowing move saw Diogo Jota sting the palms of Andre Onana, only for the rebound to fall kindly for Tsimikas who finished on the line. 

Data Debrief: Slot ball too good for United

Despite United dominating much of the attacking statistics, Liverpool never looked tested as Slot continued to stamp his style of play on his new squad. 

Tsimikas was a particular standout for the Reds, registering the most shots (two), most shots on target (two) and equal most touches in the opposition box (three). 

For Ten Hag, the absence of Rasmus Hojlund and new signing Joshua Zirkzee proved pivotal as they were wasteful in front of goal. United underperformed their expected goals (xG) by 1.45, with only eight of their 18 shots on target. 

Erling Haaland's hat-trick was enough to see Manchester City end their pre-season tour of the United States with a 4-2 win over Chelsea in Ohio.  

Haaland scored twice in the first five minutes before Oscar Bobb added City's third in the second half, with the Norweigan completing his treble soon after. 

Raheem Sterling and Noni Madueke took the shine off an otherwise impressive display from Pep Guardiola's side ahead of their Community Shield fixture against Manchester United next week. 

A frantic start to proceedings saw Levi Colwill bring down Haaland in the box, and despite having to retake his spot kick, Haaland made no mistake with his second attempt. 

City's lead was doubled a minute later when Moises Caicedo's loose pass was cut out by Haaland, who finished confidently with his right foot beyond Robert Sanchez. 

Bobb would put the game beyond doubt 10 minutes into the second half after being picked out by James McAtee to finish at the near post. 

McAtee would grab his second assist of the game moments later, setting up Haaland to complete his hat-trick with a typically clinical finish. 

Sterling would pull a goal back just before the hour mark as he volleyed beyond Stefan Ortega, with Madueke halving the deficit in the 89th minute with a low strike. 

Data Debrief: Haaland well-prepared for Community Shield

Despite underperforming their expected goals (xG) by 2.25 at the Ohio Stadium, City showed the advantage of having a prolific striker at the top end of the pitch. 

Haaland contributed 1.4 xG to City's final total of 1.75, accumulating the most shots (four), shots on target (three) and touches in the opposition box (seven) of any player on the pitch. 

West Ham have completed the signing of Crysencio Summerville from Leeds United for a reported £25million.

Summerville starred for Leeds in the Championship last season, though the Dutch winger could not propel the Whites to promotion.

And having sold academy product Archie Gray to Tottenham, Leeds have now had to part ways with another star player.

Summerville has signed a five-year deal with West Ham, with the option for a further year.

The 22-year-old becomes the Hammers' fourth signing under new head coach Julen Lopetegui, while Niclas Fullkrug and Guido Rodriguez are also on the verge of joining from Borussia Dortmund and Real Betis respectively.

"I'm very happy, and I can't wait to get started," said Summerville.

"It's the perfect next step for my career. West Ham is a huge club, with lots of ambition and great players, so I’m really excited to be here and to get going.

"I always try to follow my heart, and I had the feeling that this is the best place for me to continue developing as a player, and to push my potential as much as possible."

Summerville directly contributed to 29 goals in the Championship last season (20 goals, nine assists), while he created 120 chances – ranking fourth in the division – and attempting 200 dribbles.

France's Olympic dream came to a halt as they lost 1-0 to Brazil on Saturday.

Gabi Portilho's 82nd-minute goal proved decisive in Nantes as Brazil claimed a place in the semi-finals.

Matters could have been vastly different for France had Sakina Karchaoui converted an early penalty, but she fluffed her lines from 12 yards.

Brazil will face Spain in the last four, while the other semi-final will see Germany take on the United States.

Germany drew 0-0 with defending champions Canada after 120 minutes of action in Marseille.

But Ashley Lawrence and Adriana Leon saw their penalties saved by Ann-Katrin Berger, who subsequently stepped up to slot in the crucial spot-kick as Germany secured a 4-2 shootout victory.

Data Debrief: Quarter-final hoodoo continues for France, Germany meet the USA again

France have now been eliminated at the quarter-final stage in seven of the last eight international tournaments in which they have participated.

Meanwhile, the USA and Germany will meet again in the last four of a major tournament for the fifth time, which is two more than any other match-up in the history of the Women's World Cup and the Olympics.

Atletico Madrid have completed the signing of Alexander Sorloth from Villarreal in a deal reportedly worth €35million.

Sorloth joins Atleti on the back of scoring 26 goals in 41 games in all competitions in his only season at Villarreal.

A highlight of last term came in May, when he scored four goals in just 17 minutes in a 4-4 draw with Real Madrid.

Atleti were in the market for a striker after Alvaro Morata's move to Milan and following their release of Memphis Depay.

Sorloth, who has 53 caps for Norway, was second only to Artem Dovbyk when it came to LaLiga goals last season, netting 23 times in total.

The 28-year-old endured a difficult spell in England when he moved to Crystal Palace in January 2018, scoring just one goal in 20 appearances, but his career was revitalised by a loan to Trabzonspor, where he scored 24 league goals in 34 league games.

He subsequently moved to RB Leipzig before two spells on loan at Real Sociedad where he netted 24 times in 90 games before he signed for Villarreal in the summer of 2023.  

Sorloth's aerial prowess could be of real use for Diego Simeone's side. Indeed, he scored more headed goals (seven) than any other player in LaLiga last season.

Dovbyk was another target for Atleti, but the Ukraine international has instead joined Roma.

Sorloth has penned a four-year deal with Atleti, who are also pushing to sign Julian Alvarez from Manchester City.

Spain came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Colombia before winning 4-2 on penalties in Saturday's Olympic quarter-final.

La Roja went into the clash in Lyon having enjoyed a perfect record at the Paris Games, but were on the brink of a shock exit when Leicy Santos put Colombia 2-0 up.

Santos' goal came after Mayra Ramirez had opened the scoring for Colombia at the Groupama Stadium.

Yet Spain fought back late on, with Jenni Hermoso scoring in the 79th minute before captain Irene Paredes netted deep into injury time.

Extra time came and went, and Cata Coll proved Spain's hero with a save from Catalina Usme, while Colombia substitute Liana Salazar also missed the target.

That paved the way for Aitana Bonmati, the Ballon d'Or winner, to dispatch the winning spot-kick and tee up a meeting with France or Brazil in the last four.

Data Debrief: Spain's quality inspires fightback

Despite creating fewer expected goals (xG) than their opponents, with 1.05 to Spain’s 2.52, Colombia showed real effectiveness in taking the chances that were presented to them.

They scored close-range goals from just four shots inside the area and seven in total, while they only had eight touches in the opposition box for the entirety of the 120+ minutes.

But Spain overwhelmed Colombia as the match wore on, as evidenced by a huge gulf when it came to final third entries, with 155 for La Roja to 26 for their opponents, while they also enjoyed 46 more touches in the opposition box than their opponents. 

Paredes was ultimately Spain's hero in regulation time. She has been involved in three goals in her last five games for her country (two goals and one assist), the same as in her previous 30 games in all competitions (two goals and one assist).