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Andrew Cesare Richardson

In an evening where little happened outside elite-level football, the Uefa Champions League truly delivered.
It was the first match day of the new format which pitted several heavyweights against each other and it produced shocks, big wins and catapulted two of Europe’s big guns into “crisis mode”.
Nevertheless, we’re still scratching our heads to understand what these results actually mean in the long term.
Anyway, here’s a round up of all the action, as well as any other major sporting news which occurred while you were sleeping.
City lose UCL ‘derby’

What a way for incoming Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim to announce himself to his new fans.
Confirmed as Erik ten Hag’s replacement last week, but not set to take up his post until later this month, the 39-year-old stayed at Sporting CP for three more matches, of which one was the mammoth task of facing Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the Champions League.
Yet the Portuguese champions produced a performance for the ages as they came from a goal down to beat City 4-1 with striker Viktor Gyokeres netting a hat-trick – his seventh goal in two matches.
It was City’s third defeat on the spin across three competitions and the questions really are coming fast for Guardiola and his side as Erling Haaland also missed a penalty.
For Amorim, it was the dream exit: in his final match at Sporting’s home stadium, he delivered a famous victory which also put smiles on the faces on the supporters at his new club.
Real concern

What’s going wrong in Madrid?
Carlo Ancelotti’s side lost 3-1 at home to AC Milan to follow on from their 4-0 humbling at the Bernabeu against Barcelona.
That’s two defeats from their last three matches in the Champions League.
Vinicius Junior’s equaliser after Malick Thaw’s opener did not bring about the expected comeback as former Madrid forward Alvaro Morata restored the visitors’ lead and Tijjani Reijnders added a third.
Question marks over Ancelotti’s future at the Bernabeu are only going to grow.
Alonso’s Anfield agony
After a sensational 2023/34, the 2024/25 campaign has been a struggle for Bayer Leverkusen.
Level until the hour mark, a late Liverpool flurry earned the hosts a whopping 4-0 victory to make Anfield hero Xabi Alonso’s “homecoming” a nightmare.
The Germans have won just two of their past seven matches, while Liverpool’s incredible start under Arne Slot has seen them earn 12 victories from their 14 matches across all competitions so far this campaign.
Elsewhere, Lille’s impressive Champions League campaign continued as they followed up wins over Real and Atletico Madrid with a 1-1 draw against Juventus and there was even a memorable 3-1 victory for Celtic over German heavyweights RB Leipzig.
In the evening’s other matches, Borussia Dortmund edged out Sturm Graz 1-0, PSV Eindhoven crushed Girona 4-0, Monaco won 1-0 in Bologna and Slovan Bratislava were hammered 4-1 at home by Dinamo Zagreb.
CR7’s continental push
Cristiano Ronaldo scored the second goal as Al-Nassr defeated defending champions Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates 5-1 in the AFC Champions League Elite, to lift the Saudi Arabian side to third in the 12-team standings.
In the eastern zone, Vissel Kobe of Japan went top of the group with a 2-0 win over South Korea’s Gwangju FC as Johor Darul Tazim of Malaysia moved up to third with a 3-0 win over two-time champions Ulsan HD of South Korea.
Just three days after lifting the Chinese Super League title, Shanghai Port lost 3-1 at Kawasaki Frontale of Japan.
Australia’s sole representative Central Coast Mariners picked up their first point with a 2-2 draw with Shanghai Shenhua.
Sabalenka at the top

Away from football, Coco Gauff beat defending champion Iga Swiatek 6-3, 6-4 at the WTA Finals in Riyadh to reach the semi-finals and ensure Aryna Sabalenka would finish the year as world No 1.
It was Gauff’s second win over Swiatek in 13 meetings and the 20-year-old is unbeaten in the orange round-robin group having defeated fellow American Jessica Pegula in the previous round.
French Open champion Swiatek lost in the US Open quarter-finals in September and was leapfrogged in the world rankings by Sabalenka after she skipped the WTA Tour’s Asian swing because of fatigue, while Gauff secured the title at the China Open in Beijing and reached the semi-finals in Wuhan.
Swiatek had dominated Gauff in their previous meetings, but the 23-year-old Pole looked rusty on her return after a two-month lay-off, securing a comeback win over Barbora Krejcikova in her opening match in Riyadh.
Swiatek can only qualify for the semi-finals if she beats Pegula and Gauff also defeats Krejcikova on Thursday.
Wimbledon champion Krejcikova’s 6-3, 6-3 win against Jessica Pegula earlier on Tuesday ended the sixth-seeded American’s chances of qualifying for the semi-finals in Riyadh.
No changes for England
Some rugby news now as England opted against making any changes in personnel for the visit of Australia on Saturday after being edged by New Zealand last weekend.
A 24-22 defeat by the All Blacks opened England’s autumn series and the same 15 has been retained for the second of four tests at Twickenham this month.
England coach Steve Borthwick has made a positional switch in midfield, however, where Henry Slade and Ollie Lawrence have swapped places.
The only adjustments in personnel were made to the bench where Luke Cowan-Dickie replaced Theo Dan at hooker and Ben Curry made way to accommodate a return to a 5-3 split between forwards and backs.


Chelsea, Real Madrid earning UWCL wins, Italy clinching BJK Cup among sporting headlines

Guardiola to stay, Nadal’s Davis Cup farewell starts with defeat plus Uefa Nations League

Hong Kong’s conquerors lose to world’s worst side – again, Australia down Pakistan in T20

England romp to Nations League promotion, Australia crush Wales, Sinner makes tennis history

While you were sleeping

Man City battered by new Man Utd boss, Cristiano Ronaldo scores, Aryna Sabalenka ‘24 No 1

Sporting players toss coach Ruben Amorim in the air to celebrate their historic 4-1 victory over Manchester City in his final home match in charge. Photo: AP

Sporting boss Ruben Amorim waves to the fans after his final home match ahead of moving to Manchester United. Photo: Reuters

AC Milan players celebrate after earning a famous victory over European giants Real Madrid in the Spanish capital. Photo: Reuters

Aryna Sabalenka will finish 2024 as women’s No 1 after Coco Gauff beat Iga Swiatek at the WTA Finals in Riyadh. Photo: EPA

Zheng win keeps WTA Finals hopes alive, Edu quits Arsenal role, Amorim eyes City test

China’s Qinwen Zheng celebrates during her WTA Finals match against Elena Rybakina. Photo: AFP

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta (rigt) and technical director Edu built a team that was almost good enough to win the Premier League. Photo: Reuters

Aryna Sabalenka needs to win one more match to end the year as world No 1. Photo: EPA-EFE

Manchester United refused request to take over at end of season, says new boss Ruben Amorim

Ruben Amorim said Manchester United was not the first club to offer to pay the buyout clause in his Sporting Lisbon contract, with one club offering him three times as much as United did. Photo: EPA-EFE

Ruben Amorim spoke to media after Sporting Lisbon’s 5-1 win over Estrela da Amadora. Photo: AFP

Sport

Football

Tennis

A busy night of Uefa Champions League action saw big guns go head to head with two major sides sent into ‘crisis’ mode


A busy night of Uefa Champions League action saw big guns go head to head with two major sides sent into ‘crisis’ mode.


Uefa Champions League