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Harry Brook is set to captain England for the first time in the upcoming one-day international (ODI) series against Australia after Jos Buttler’s persistent calf injury ruled him out, team management announced on Sunday.Buttler has not played a competitive match since defending champions England lost a T20 World Cup semi-final against India in Guyana in June. He has been now forced to miss both a three-match T20 series with Australia, which concludes Sunday, and the subsequent five-game ODI contest with England’s arch-rivals.Brook has only 15 caps in ODI cricket, but England already regard him as a future long-term leader, with the 25-year-old Yorkshire batsman having captained their youth side at the 2018 Under-19 World Cup.He deputised as Yorkshire captain for four matches in the T20 Blast in 2022 and led Northern Superchargers in the Hundred this year, winning five out of six completed matches at the helm as they narrowly missed out on the knockout stages. Brook also served as Ollie Pope’s vice-captain during England’s recent 2-1 Test series win over Sri Lanka.His appointment as ODI captain means England will have deployed a new skipper in all three international formats this season.Pope took over as Test captain from Ben Stokes when the all-rounder’s hamstring injury meant he missed the whole of the Sri Lanka series, with Phil Salt leading the T20 side after Buttler was sidelined.“It’s going to be a great opportunity for Brooky to be the captain,” Buttler told Sky Sports. “He is a pretty laid-back character, but I think he has everything in line. He is a really good thinker about it... I’m sure he’ll do that his own way, and he’ll get a feel for those moments (in games).” Buttler, aiming for an England return during their November tour of the Caribbean, said of his recovery from injury: “It’s a bit slower than hoped. I’m going to be missing the ODI series as well, so that’s a shame. But at my age, I’ve just got to make sure I get it right...There’s lots to look forward to in the future.”After England’s woeful defences of both their 50-over and T20 world titles, questions were asked over whether Buttler should continue to carry the triple burden of captaining, keeping wicket and opening the batting in white-ball internationals.He confirmed on Sunday he would not have been behind the stumps had he been fit for the T20s, following discussions with incoming limited-overs coach Brendon McCullum – already in charge of England’s Test side and himself a former New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman.“Having spoken to Baz (McCullum) about it, he stumbled across it with injury preventing him from keeping wicket, but then he really enjoyed being next to the bowler at mid-off,” Buttler said.He added: “I just want what’s best for the team: what’s best for the team is going to be me being the best captain I can be, and if I have to move from behind the wickets to do that then so be it.”Josh Hull, the 20-year-old left-arm fast bowler who made his Test debut in the Sri Lanka series finale at the Oval earlier this month, had been due to be a member of the 50-over squad but has suffered a quad injury and will rest ahead of next month’s trip to Pakistan.Liam Livingstone, initially dropped from the ODI squad, has been recalled after two notable performances in a T20 campaign against Australia currently level at 1-1 ahead of Sunday’s decider in Manchester.

Oscar Piastri won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as McLaren went top of the constructors’ standings in a race that finished with a virtual safety car after a penultimate lap collision between Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez.Ferrari’s pole-sitter Charles Leclerc, who was overtaken by Piastri on the 20th of 51 laps and then battled nose-to-tail before his tyres faded, came second with George Russell inheriting third for Mercedes after the Sainz-Perez collision.Red Bull’s Formula One leader Max Verstappen finished fifth, just behind his closest title rival Lando Norris, who started 15th for McLaren and ended up fourth with a bonus point for fastest lap.“That was probably the most stressful afternoon in my life,” said Piastri, after soaking up relentless pressure from Leclerc to take his second career win.“It definitely goes down as one of the better races of my career.”Triple champion Verstappen’s lead over Norris, who went long on his first stint with hard tyres and then reeled in a 15 second gap to pass the Dutch driver on lap 49 thanks to his fresher mediums, was cut from 62 points to 59.McLaren are now 20 points clear of Red Bull in the standings with seven Grands Prix and three sprint races remaining.Leclerc led away from the start, and was six seconds clear before the first pitstops, but his fourth successive pole in Baku was destined to end in defeat like the previous three.Piastri was first of the two to change tyres, on lap 16 with Norris crucially preventing Perez from getting an advantage from an earlier stop, and Leclerc followed him down the pit lane a lap later.The Australian then made a great passing move on Leclerc at turn one but the battle was just heating up.The top two duelled for lap after lap, with the Ferrari driver trying in vain to use the DRS drag reduction to get past Piastri who had the benefit of clean air as he defended tenaciously but fairly.Time and again Leclerc tried but just fell short on a circuit with long and fast straights along the shores of the Caspian Sea but tight and twisty turns through the old town.Couldn’t get close“I couldn’t get as close as I wanted and eventually we lost the race when I didn’t defend as well as I could have at the end of the straight,” said Leclerc.“Sometimes you make mistakes and I’ll learn from it,” Leclerc told reporters.Piastri eventually pulled clear to win by 10.910 seconds while Leclerc fell into the clutches of Perez and Sainz, with a dramatic sting in the tail. Perez tried and failed to pass Leclerc on the penultimate lap, opening the door for Sainz to breeze past the Mexican and into third at turn one.As the Red Bull driver tried to get the place back at turn two, the cars collided and went into the wall in a shunt that effectively ended the race with the virtual safety car deployed to the finish.“What happened there?,” exclaimed Sainz, with Perez asking the same thing in more colourful language. Both were summoned to the stewards, who decided to take no further action.Fernando Alonso was sixth for Aston Martin with Williams benefiting from the late crash to see Alex Albon finish seventh with Argentine rookie Franco Colapinto following him home in eighth.The points windfall catapulted Williams above Renault-owned Alpine and into eighth place overall.Seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton was ninth for Mercedes, after starting in the pit lane due to a power unit change, and British rookie Oliver Bearman collected the final point for Haas as a stand-in for suspended Kevin Magnussen.Bearman has now scored points for two different teams in his two races after making his race debut with Ferrari as a stand-in for appendicitis-stricken Sainz in March.

The decisive Twenty20 clash of the three-match series between England and Australia was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to persistent rain at Old Trafford on Sunday.Play was due to start at 1330 GMT in Manchester, but after multiple pitch inspections, umpires decided there was no chance of play, with the match being called off at around 1520 GMT.No result meant the three-match series was tied at 1-1 after the touring side won the first T20 by 28 runs, with England bouncing back to win the second by three wickets.Both the teams will now shift their focus to the five-match One-Day International series, starting Thursday at Trent Bridge.Schedule of five-match ODI series between England and Australia:1st ODI: Thursday 19 September, Trent Bridge, (12.30pm start)2nd ODI: Saturday 21 September, Headingley, (11am start)3rd ODI: Tuesday 24 September, Seat Unique Riverside (12.30pm start)4th ODI: Friday 27 September, Lord’s (12.30pm start)5th ODI: Sunday 29 September, Seat Unique Stadium (11am start)

France bid a final and reluctant farewell to the Paris Olympics on Saturday with a parade on the Champs-Elysees followed by a concert featuring artists from the opening and closing ceremonies.The final event of an acclaimed summer of sport saw tens of thousands of fans gather on the French capital's most famous avenue to applaud and cheer the nation's new sporting heroes.Around 70,000 people gathered for the parade featuring athletes, volunteers and public sector workers, which was followed by a multi-artist concert on a spectacular stage around the Arc de Triomphe."Saying thanks, not just to the athletes but to everyone who made these games magic, I think it's fabulous," said France's most-decorated track athlete, Marie-Jose Perec, who lit the cauldron at the start of the Games on July 26."It's a beautiful way of saying goodbye because everything must come to an end and tonight it will all be over," the visibly emotional 200m and 400m triple gold medallist told reporters as she arrived.Around 4,000 police were called out for a final test, having won almost almost unanimous praise for the way they kept around 12 million ticket holders for the Olympics and Paralympics safe.After months of gloom and self-doubt in the run-up to the start of the Olympics, Parisians and the country at large threw themselves into the spirit of the Games once the sport began.They embraced new champions such as triple gold medal-winning swimmer Leon Marchand while finding fresh reasons to celebrate veterans such as judoka Teddy Riner who won his fourth Olympic title."Thank you, thank you, it's been incredible!" Riner shouted to the cheering crowd.He, Marchand and Rugby Sevens star Antoine Dupont were among more than 100 French medal winners who were awarded the Legion d'Honneur, France's highest civilian award, in a ceremony at the foot of the Arc de Triomphe led by French President Emmanuel Macron.The French team finished the Olympics with a record medals haul of 64, including 16 golds, securing fifth place on the international table.The Paralympic Games from August 28-September 8 were hailed as "the most spectacular ever" by the head of the International Paralympic Committee, Andrew Parsons.Analysts say the Games served as a form of escapism for many French people worried about the direction of the country as well as generating a rare form of national union and pride."Everything worked, everything functioned and French people rediscovered the virtues of national cohesion," the head of the French Olympic Committee, David Lappartient, told reporters.Macron is seeking to take advantage of this more positive mood, having faced widespread criticism for his decision to call snap parliamentary elections in June which blindsided Paris 2024 organisers.The vote resulted in a hung parliament and historic gains for the far-right National Rally party.Instead of making a speech, he recorded a poetic voiceover over images of the Olympics and Paralympics, saying it was "a summer that had already become part of French sporting legend."The 46-year-old was the main instigator of Saturday's event, which was not originally part of the Olympic or Paralympic programme.The centrist has also announced his intention to create an Olympics-inspired "national day of sport" every year on September 14."We need to spend time together at a day of sport, which would take place in the street, schools, in dedicated sports centres," he told the Parisien.Saturday night's concert featured singer Chris, formerly of Christine & the Queens, who performed at the Paralympics opening ceremony, as well as blind Malian duo Amadou & Mariam among others.

Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba ended his season with a second-place finish in the 400m hurdles at the Diamond League finals in Brussels on Saturday. Samba clocked 48.20 seconds as Brazil’s Olympic bronze medallist Alison dos Santos won his second Diamond League title in 47.93 secs. The third place went to Rasmus Magi in 48.26 secs.Olympic champion Rai Benjamin of the US and world champion and world record holder Karsten Warholm of Norway skipped the event. This seemed to clear the way for the Santos but Samba gave a good fight to the Brazilian until the end.“It’s my second Diamond League trophy and for me this is a great achievement. This season I have shown that I am fully recovered from the injury sustained in 2023, that is probably the most important thing for me,” said Santos.Kipyegon wins again, Tebogoand Crouser upsetMeanwhole, Kenya’s 1500m queen Faith Kipyegon sealed victory, but Botswanan sprinter Letsile Tebogo and American shot putter Ryan Crouser both tasted rare defeats. Kipyegon, the three-time Olympic and world champion, has had another sensational year over 1500m, even setting a new world record at the Paris leg of the elite track and field circuit.And she made no mistake at the King Baudouin Stadium, sprinting away to win in a meet record of 3min 54.76sec. “The world record was not on my mind today, my goal was to finish my Diamond League season in a good way and I did,” said Kipyegon. “It was good race, but definitely not an easy one. It was a bit cold to run 61 seconds in the first lap and 62 seconds for the next lap. I tried to be myself and focus on the finish line.”Of the 16 finals on Saturday, the first 16 having been held on Friday, there was a strong showing from Kenyan athletes. Double Olympic 5,000/10,000m champion Beatrice Chebet also set a meet record of 14:09.82 to win the 5,000m in a powerful solo run. Faith Cherotich outpaced Bahrain’s Olympic champion Winfred Yavi to win the 3000m steeplechase in 9:02.36 and Emmanuel Wanyonyi produced a devastating final flourish to win a high-quality men’s 800m in 1:42.70.There was a surprise in the men’s shot put as Italy’s European champion Leonardo Fabbri claimed the win with a meet and national record of 22.98m, improving his own personal best by 3cm. American Ryan Crouser, the three-time Olympic champion and twice world gold medallist, finished second with a best of 22.79m, but there were no sour grapes despite missing out on the $30,000 winner’s cheque.“I threw pretty well. It was a very solid performance, five times over 22 metres,” Crouser said. “I just had not that big throw in me like the one Leonardo Fabbri had. He threw a liftetime best so a big throw from him. The level in the shot put was never this high.”And Olympic champion Tebogo was outpaced in the 200m by American Kenny Bednarek, who won in 19.67sec. “I wanted to win the Diamond, but it has been a rollercoaster after the Olympics,” lamented Tebogo. Fabbri’s shot put victory was one of three on the night for Team Italia, high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi (2.34m) and long jumper Larissa Iapichino (6.80m) also winning.In field events, two other Olympic champions won their events, Japan’s Haruka Kitaguchi taking the women’s javelin with a season’s best of 66.13m and Australia’s Nina Kennedy claiming the pole vault with 4.88m. Grenada’s Anderson Peters edged India’s Neeraj Chopra by just 1cm for victory in the men’s javelin in 87.87m. Puerto Rico’s Jamine Camacho-Quinn confirmed her seasonal form to win the 100m hurdles in 12.38sec.Olympic 400m hurdles champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won her second invitational race in two days, clocking 22.40sec for victory in the 200m. “Vacation and waffles!” the American, who won a 400m race on Friday, said after the race. “It was great to race here, but to be honest I am just happy with my successful season and with how everything turned out. I am happy that I can walk away healthy and look back on a great season.”In the absence of McLaughlin-Levrone from the 400m hurdles because she was ineligible having not competed on the Diamond League circuit, it was left for Paris bronze medallist Femke Bol to take the victory in 52.45sec. The 200m final proper saw American Brittany Brown top the podium in 22.20sec. Her teammate Sha’Carri Richardson was a no-show after her eighth-placed finish in Friday’s 100m.Men and women’s winners 100m: Ackeem Blake (JAM); Julien Alfred (LCA); 200m: Kenny Bednarek (USA); Brittany Brown (USA); 400m: Charles Dobson (GBR): Marileidy Paulino (DOM); 800m: Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN); Mary Moraa (KEN); 1500m: Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR); Faith Kipyegon (KEN); 5000m: Berihu Aregawi (ETH); Beatrice Chebet (KEN); 110m/100m hurdles: Sasha Zhoya (FRA); Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (PUR); 400m hurdles: Alison Dos Santos (BRA); Femke Bol (NED); 3000m steeplechase: Amos Serem (KEN); Faith Cherotich (KEN); Long jump: Tajay Gayle (JAM); Larissa Iapichino (ITA); Triple jump: Pedro Pichardo (POR); Leyanis Perez (CUB); High jump: Gianmarco Tamberi (ITA); Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR); Pole vault: Armand Duplantis (SWE); Nina Kennedy (AUS); Shot put: Leonardo Fabbri (ITA); Sarah Mitton (CAN); Discus: Matthew Denny (AUS); Valarie Allman (USA); Javelin: Anderson Peters (GRN); Haruka Kitaguchi (JPN)

By Sports ReporterDohaA brace from Edmilson Junior powered Al Duhail to a 2-0 win over Al Wakrah in the Ooredoo Stars League at Al Janoub Stadium on Saturday. Edmilson’s goal came in the 13th and 27th minutes as the Red Knights maintained their perfect start to the season, having won all four of their matches to garner the maximum 12 points.Christophe Galtier’s men now have a two-point advantage over second-placed Al Ahli, while reigning champions Al Sadd – who were stunned by Umm Salal on Friday – are third with six points adrift of the leaders. Al Wakrah, meanwhile, remain on five points in seven place, having won one and drawn two of their previous matches.On Saturday, Duhail were clearly the better of the two sides from the start with waves of relentless attacks as they searched for an early goal. Wakrah’s defence caved in the 13th minute, with Edmilson opening the scoring with arguably a goal-of-the-week contender, superbly curling in the ball from the edge of the box beyond the reach of the hapless goalkeeper Mohammed al-Bakri.The Red Knights were saved from being reduced to ten men five minutes later, with Michael Olunga initially giving the red card for a foul on Wakrah’s Hamdy Fathy, but the decision was rescinded after a lengthy VAR check with a yellow card awarded instead. Edmilson was on hand again in the 27th minute to secure his brace of the night with another spectacular strike, dazzling his way past Wakrah’s defence before releasing a left-footed shot from a tight angle that sailed straight to the top side of goalkeeper al-Bakri’s net.Duhail continued to up the pressure against their opponents, but some brilliant performances by Wakrah’s backline prevented what could have been additional goals for the league leaders going into halftime.Three minutes into the second half, Duhail were eventually reduced to ten men, with Ibrahima Diallo getting his second booking for a rough tackle on Fathy. The Blue Wave seized the opportunity of their one-man advantage as they became more daring upfront in an attempt to cut the deficit and possibly rescue a point in the entertaining encounter.Jacinto Dala missed what could have been a simple tap-in into an empty net in the 78th minute following a headed pass from substitute Yousef El Khatib, but the Angolan international somehow missed the ball. Despite several pressures from Wakrah, especially towards the end of the game, Duhail hung on to victory.Earlier, Al Ahli jumped to second place with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Qatar SC at the Khalifa International Stadium. Former PSG star Julian Draxler scored the most important goal for Al Ahli in the 70th minute. Their third successive win saw The Brigadiers take their points tally to 10, while Qatar SC are still on three points.The tight-fisted contest saw a lot of attacking action from both sides. There were several close hits including one in the 21st minute when Qatar SC came close to scoring after a Carlos Vinicius strike was saved by Ahli goalkeeper Marwan Sherif, but resulting action saw a Ben Malango kick hit the right post and fall away.The deadlock was eventually broken in the 70th minute as an Oumar Sekou kick spilled out of an outstretched Qatar SC custodian Motasem al-Bustami’s hands and Draxler rushed to kick the ball into the net.Ahli then had another chance of doubling up the lead in the 76th minute, but Eric Exposito’s kick went past the right post. Three minutes later, Qatar SC saw a curling free-kick of Vinicius being safely collected by the rival keeper. The result was a setback for Qatar SC after they had registered their first win of the league in the last round.Meanwhile, Al Arabi continued their poor start to the season after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Al Khor at the Al Thumama Stadium. Abdalaziz al-Hasia came off the bench to restore parity for Al Khor in 90+4 minute after Ahmed Alaaeldin had put Arabi ahead in the 32nd minute. With the result, both teams are now on three points, having won no matches so far in the new season.

Liverpool’s perfect start under Arne Slot came to a stunning end as Nottingham Forest won 1-0 at Anfield on Saturday, while Erling Haaland’s double sent Manchester City three points clear at the top of the Premier League in a 2-1 win over Brentford.Earlier, Manchester United eased the pressure on Erik ten Hag with a comfortable 3-0 win at Southampton. Forest had not won at Anfield in the top flight for 55 years but the home faithful were stunned when Callum Hudson-Odoi fired in the winner 18 minutes from time. Liverpool had won all three of their opening games under Slot without conceding, including a 3-0 win away at Manchester United two weeks ago. But the Reds were sloppy and sluggish after the international break and made to pay.“The result frustrates the most and we cannot be happy about how the game went. It was a stop-start game and we hardly created any chances,” said Slot. “We only have to look at ourselves, we have to be better. Far too many times we lost the ball, it was not good enough. We have to be better with the ball.”Victory lifts Forest into fifth with eight points from their opening four games. “The players did it so well. We were against the ropes but we stayed in the game and found our moment,” said Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo.City took full advantage of Liverpool’s defeat to move clear at the top by stretching their 100 percent record to four games despite a disastrous start. However, Haaland’s form at the start of the season remains unstoppable, even if the Norwegian just missed out on a record third consecutive hat-trick in the Premier League. The 24-year-old’s powerful deflected effort brought City level before he showed a combination of strength and skill to shrug off Ethan Pinnock and dink the ball over the onrushing Mark Flekken.Only the post denied Haaland another hat-trick after half-time but he now has a Premier League record nine goals in the first four games of the season.United had been left to fester on their humbling by Liverpool for two weeks over the international break, but bounced back after a slow start at Southampton. The Red Devils needed a penalty save from Andre Onana to deny Cameron Archer before two goals in five minutes just before half-time swung the game decisively in the visitors’ favour.Matthijs de Ligt nodded in his first United goal before Marcus Rashford ended his six-month drought by finding the bottom corner with a curling effort.Southampton are yet to register a point in four games since their return to the top flight and inflicted more damage on themselves when captain Jack Stephens saw red for a wild lunge on Alejandro Garnacho.The Argentine dusted himself off to then round off the scoring with a thumping finish into the roof of the net in stoppage time.Aston Villa moved up to third after Everton blew a two-goal lead for the second consecutive game. Dwight McNeil and Dominic Calvert-Lewin gave the Toffees a dream start at Villa Park.But Everton remain without a point this season due to dreadful defending. Ollie Watkins struck twice either side of half-time to level before Jhon Duran’s stunning strike from distance earned Villa a third win in four games.Brighton remain unbeaten but were unable to break down Ipswich in a 0-0 draw at the Amex. Crystal Palace came from 2-0 down to salvage a 2-2 draw against Leicester thanks to Jean-Philippe Mateta’s double. West Ham also struck late through Danny Ings to snatch a 1-1 draw at Fulham.

The Qatar Arc Trials featuring world class entries is set to take place at the ParisLongchamp today. The Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC)-sponsored meeting is considered the last stepping stone to the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe weekend.The two highlights of the day are the Group 1 Qatar Prix Vermeille, a race for fillies and mares only run over the same distance of 2,400m as the Qatar Prix De L’Arc De Triomphe, and the Group 1 PA Qatar Cup – Prix Dragon, a race for Purebred Arabians run over the distance of 2,000m, which is considered to be the last preparatory race for the Group 1 PA Qatar Arabian World Cup.Both the Qatar Cup and the Qatar Arabian World Cup are part of Qatar’s commitment to promote and progress Arabian racing worldwide; a commitment which has been extended to include sponsoring several other Arabian races at some of the world’s top racecourses as well as the introduction of the Doha Triple Crown. The coveted title has been won by only two horses so far; namely Ebraz, owned by HE Sheikha Reem bint Mohammed bin Khalifa al-Thani in 2019, and Al Ghadeer, owned by Al Shaqab Racing in February this year, completing the impressive trio of victories in the Qatar International Stakes at Goodwood, Qatar Arabian World Cup at ParisLongchamp and HH The Amir Sword at Al Rayyan racecourse.Apart from the two highlights of the Qatar Arc Trials day, there are other seven races on the card.Under Chairman Issa bin Mohammed al-Mohannadi, the QREC management has been in constant co-ordination with the management of France Gallop as part of Qatar’s sponsorship of this prestigious event. Qatar Arc Trials to be run today is the final rehearsal before the main event in early October. Qatar’s sponsorship of the meeting has contributed to further developing and elevating the racing standard as well as the huge media momentum of the event, being one of the most important sporting events in France every year. Dozens of thousands of spectators and racing fans fill the stands of ParisLongchamp to witness and be part of the major challenges among the world’s most famous horse owners, trainers and jockeys.Runners for Qatar CupThe final official lists of runners in the Qatar Arc Trials were declared on Friday. Four horses have been declared in this year’s edition of the Group 1 PA Qatar Cup – Prix Dragon, including the two Al Shaqab Racing representatives Al Tammtam, a Group 1 PA winner at Longchamp, and the very consistent Al Wakrah both trained by Jean de Mieulle. François Rohaut will saddle Ch’Ezza, winner of The President of the UAE Cup – Coupe d’Europe des chevauxarabes, a Group 1 PA, who will run in the silks of Abdulla bin Fahad al-Attiyah. Last year’s winning trainer Thomas Fourcy will count on Nabucco Al Maury running in the colours of Mansoor Khalil M al-Shahwani.It is worth mentioning that the last three winners of the Qatar Cup – Prix Dragon were the Al Shaqab Racing-owned Ghadah in 2023, the Yas Horse Racing Management-owned Teema in 2022 and the Sheikha Reem-owned Ebraz in 2021.Qatar Prix VermeilleAn incredible line up of 12 fillies and mares has been declared in the Group 1 for Thoroughbreds on the Qatar Arc Trials Day, the Qatar Prix Vermeille. These include the Prix de Diane Longines Group 1 winner Sparkling Plenty, who will defend the interests of Al Shaqab Racing and Jean-Pierre-Joseph Duboi. Aidan O’Brien will saddle the recent Qatar Nassau Stakes Group 1 winner Opera Singer.The dual Group 1 winner Emily Upjohn will try to add another success at this level to her career record. Bluestocking, winner of the Pretty Polly Stakes Group 1, will run for her owner and breeder Juddmonte farms Ltd. There are also the French-trained fillies Survie, Birthe, Dare To Dream, Halfday, Aventureand Mosaique and all five of them are Group winners.Other Group RacesThe Group 3 Qatar Prix du Pin 10 runners include the Listed winner Shartash and Dark Trooper for Wathnan Racing, the Group 3 winner Topgear, presented by Christopher Head as well as the Group 1 performer Exxtra, trained by C&Y Lerner.In the Group 2 Qatar Prix Foy, there are five runners. Iresine will try to regain his title ridden by his loyal jockey Marie Velon against the 2023 Grand Prix de Paris (Group 1) winner Feed The Flame and the Group 1 St Leger winner Continuous.The Group 2 Qatar Prix Niel lines-up six runners, including the recent Group 1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club winner Look De Vega carrying Al Shaqab Racing’s colours and the 2024 Grand Prix de Paris (Group 1) winner Sosie, both preparing for the Group 1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in early October. As many as 15 runners were declared in the Group 3 Qatar Prix du Petit Couvert, including Wathnan Racing’s Rogue Lightning, Aesop’s Fables, a Group 2 winner second time out trained by Aidan O’Brien, as well as the Group 3 winner Monteille presented by Pascal Bary.

Marseille continued their impressive start to the season under new coach Roberto De Zerbi by beating Nice 2-0 to go provisionally top of Ligue 1, despite finishing the match with 10 men.Mason Greenwood was unable to add to his remarkable tally of five goals in his first three matches in French football, but there was a debut goal for new signing Neal Maupay before a brilliant strike by Luis Henrique sealed the victory. Marseille had Canadian defender Derek Cornelius sent off late on, but held on for the win which moved them to 10 points from four matches.That lifted them a point clear of Paris Saint-Germain, although the defending champions will return to the summit if they can maintain their perfect start to the campaign by beating Brest. “We have had an almost perfect start. I wasn’t too pleased with how we played today, but football is not just about quality. It is also about character, and blood, and in that sense we were excellent,” said De Zerbi.The game at the Velodrome was watched by a crowd of more than 65,000 and there was a celebratory atmosphere as Marseille wore a collectors’ edition shirt to mark their 125th birthday and fans set off fireworks late on, bringing the game to a brief halt. “In such passionate cities, you need a strong link between fans and players, otherwise you can’t do anything,” De Zerbi said when asked about the raucous atmosphere.Maupay opened the scoring five minutes before half-time in this Mediterranean derby when he headed in a deflected cross by Luis Henrique for his first goal since returning to French football from Everton. Luis Henrique, the Brazilian winger, made it 2-0 with a magnificent goal eight minutes into the second half as he came in off the left flank and played a quick exchange with Amine Harit before curling a shot high into the net.Cornelius was dismissed for a second yellow late on 75 minutes, but that did not stop OM getting all three points, and hopes will be high that they can push PSG in the title race if they can keep playing like this. “Just as the fans have dreams, so do we, but there is also the reality. We have made so many changes in a short time and we still have huge margin for improvement,” De Zerbi added.

A second-string United States extended their Davis Cup winning run by dismantling Germany to top Group C in Zhuhai on Saturday after both countries secured their spots in the quarter-finals of the premier men’s team competition.The 32-times winners were without big names like US Open runner-up Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe for their Finals group stage campaign this week but still had plenty of firepower to down Germany and complete a third straight win.Brandon Nakashima gave the Americans an unassailable 2-0 lead by comfortably beating Maximilian Marterer 6-4 6-2 in the second singles match of the day before Germany won the doubles clash to hand the Americans their first loss this week. “It’s been unbelievable this whole week. It’s special to be part of this team,” said Nakashima, who sealed his third victory in his debut campaign to stay perfect.“To represent the country has always been a dream of mine since I started playing tennis, so I’m super happy that I was able to get three wins on the board for the team,” he said.World number 309 Reilly Opelka, back on the circuit after hip and wrist surgeries, saved three matchpoints and cranked up his serve when it mattered to beat debutant Henri Squire 6-7(4) 7-6(9) 6-3 earlier in the day.Tim Puetz and Kevin Krawietz later beat Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek 6-1 7-6(4) but US captain Bob Bryan said he was satisfied after a good week that highlighted the team’s singles depth.“We’ve got a lot of great players in the US right now, you can see it in the rankings. A lot of guys to choose from for the Finals,” Bryan said.“Hats off to these guys for coming here and carrying us to Malaga. We’ve got a couple of months to relax and get ready but it’s going to be fun over there.“We’re looking forward to it.”The top two countries from four groups based in different cities will go through to the Final 8 knockout stage to be held in Malaga in November.Heavyweights Spain and Australia have also qualified along with the United States and Germany.Belgium face Brazil in Bologna later hoping to go through from Group A while the Czech Republic take on France in Group B with neither team in the reckoning after losing both their matches in Valencia.Finland, last year’s surprise semi-finalists, meet Argentina in Manchester needing a win to stay alive in Group D.

Bayern Munich maintained their perfect start to the season and jumped to the top of the Bundesliga table after hammering newly-promoted Holstein Kiel 6-1. Jamal Musiala scored the third fastest goal in Bundesliga history, giving Bayern the lead after just 15 seconds.A mistake by Kiel captain Lewis Holtby opened the door for his former Tottenham Hotspur teammate Harry Kane, who doubled Bayern’s lead seven minutes in.It went from bad to worse for the hosts, as Musiala took advantage of another defensive error to deliver a cross that was eventually turned into his own net by Nicolai Remberg.After just 13 minutes Bayern Munich were 3-0 up.Three years on from their famous victory against Bayern in the second round of the German Cup, Kiel looked starstruck.Kane scored his second just before the break, before substitute Michael Olise smashed in a rebound shortly after the hour mark. Armin Gigovic’s header gave the home fans something to cheer about, but Bayern had the last word as Kane dispatched an injury-time penalty to seal his hat-trick and a big Bayern win.Bayern are two points clear at the top of the Bundesliga, but Vincent Kompany’s side now turn their attention to their Champions League campaign which starts with a home game against Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday.Leverkusen bounce backDefending champions Bayer Leverkusen put their first defeat in 35 Bundesliga games behind them on Saturday when they thumped Hoffenheim 4-1 with Victor Boniface bagging a brace.The win will be a confidence-boost for Xavi Alonso’s men Leverkusen, who start their Champions League campaign next Tuesday in Rotterdam against Feyenoord.Frenchman Martin Terrier scored his first Bundesliga goal to give the visitors a deserved lead, before Boniface danced around defenders to add a second while Mergim Berisha soon pulled one back.“It comes from a Tiktok trend in Nigeria, who created this dance and he asked me if I could do it after I score,” said Boniface, explaining his goal celebration. But eventually, Leverkusen found a way through.Florian Wirtz converted a penalty before Boniface added a well-taken second. Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann, making his 464th Bundesliga appearance to draw level with German football legend Lothar Matthäus, made a string of saves to keep the home side in the game. “A good team loses once, but not two, three or four times in a row,” Granit Xhaka said afterwards.Leipzig heldDespite dominating, Leipzig couldn’t find a way past Union Berlin and had to settle for a point after a 0-0 draw.With Marco Rose out suspended and Bo Svensson sick, both teams were without their head coaches on the sideline.Xavi Simons hit the bar, and Union goalkeeper Frederik Ronnow saved a Lois Openda penalty and a David Raum free kick to frustrate the hosts, who couldn’t maintain their perfect start to the season.Elsewhere, Frankfurt beat Wolfsburg 2-1 as Omar Marmoush came back to haunt his former employer by scoring a goal in each half.At the third time of asking, Stuttgart got their first win of the season by beating Borussia Moenchengladbach 3-1 thanks to two goals in four second-half minutes from Ermedin Demirovic. In-form Germany striker Deniz Undav had given Stuttgart the lead in the first half, only for Alassane Plea to equalize for the hosts.A brace from Junior Adamu helped Freiburg to a 2-1 win over Bochum, who had taken the lead with their first goal of the season.

Qatar Insurance Group (QIC Group), the leading insurer in Qatar and the MENA region, has announced the signing of an agreement with the Organizing Committee of the Samla Race to support the sixth edition of the national endurance competition “Samla 2024”, continuing its role in highlight Qatar and Doha as a global sports capital.The agreement ceremony, held at Qatar Insurance Group’s headquarters in West Bay, was signed by Salem al-Mannai, Group CEO of QIC Group, and Azzam al-Mannai, CEO of the Organizing Committee of the Samla Race, designates Qatar Insurance as the official insurance sponsor of the event.The race will take place from December 5 to 7 over a distance of 200 kilometers, featuring swimming, running, shooting, kayaking, and mountain biking. It is expected to see a record participation rate this year.“This agreement reflects Qatar Insurance Group’s commitment to supporting the national sports scene. It aligns with our social responsibility and supports the country’s efforts to raise awareness of sports’ importance in the lives of individuals and communities. This is in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030 and in recognition of the significant impact of this distinguished event on Qatari society,” Salem al-Mannai said.“Samla is a challenging event that showcases endurance and determination, reflecting the resilience of Qatari youth. We look forward to strong competition, sportsmanship, and watching athletes overcome the challenges of Samla, serving as a source of inspiration and pride for Qataris and millions of followers in the region.”Azzam expressed his gratitude and conveyed the significance of QIC Group’s sponsorship to the success of the race: “On behalf of the entire organizing committee and all the participants, I extend our deepest thanks to QIC for their steadfast support by being a sponsor of the Samla Race for the second consecutive year and for being an integral part of this journey. Together we will continue to make the Samla Race a beacon of sportsmanship, resilience, and community spirit.”

Charbel Chebly took the top spot in the Open Class 1 while Mansour Chebli was the fastest in the Production 1 category in the fourth round of the 2024 Qatar National Sprint on Friday. Charbel dominated the O1 Class with a best lap time of 44.378 seconds in his Renault Clio, while Mansour finished closely behind in second place with a time of 44.911 seconds, also driving a Renault Clio. Saudi Arabia’s Abdulaziz al-Ramih rounded out the top three in Class O1 with a 46.226-second lap in his Toyota GT86. In Class O2, Jad Alawar from Lebanon secured first place with 45.685 seconds in an Evo 8, while Qatar’s Maher Serre won the O3 category with a lap time of 48.141 in his Nissan 350Z. In Class P1, Mansour emerged victorious with a best lap of 46.319 seconds, followed by Charbel Chebly and Nadim Ziade. In Class P2, Ziade claimed first with a 45.436-second run in his Renault Megane, while the P3 class saw Francesco Fornaciari claiming the victory with a time of 46.673 in a Lotus Exige. In the women’s category, Paige De Jager took the top spot in her Mitsubishi Eclipse with a time of 52.614 seconds, ahead of Nasmee’a Christian and Melina Jokic. The remaining two rounds of the Championship will take place on October 5 and 19.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took pole position at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix for the fourth year in a row on Saturday as McLaren’s title contender Lando Norris suffered a qualifying nightmare and was set to start 16th.McLaren’s Oscar Piastri joined Leclerc on the front row with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez together on the second row.Red Bull’s world championship leader Max Verstappen, 62 points ahead of Norris with eight rounds remaining, qualified only sixth fastest with Mercedes’ George Russell ahead of him in fifth.The pole was the 26th of Leclerc’s career, and third of the season, but he has yet to convert the top slot into victory in Baku where champions Red Bull have won for the past three years.“It’s one of my favourite tracks of the season, I really like it,” said the Monegasque, who won the previous race in Italy but crashed in Friday practice in Baku.“In that last lap I went for it a bit more and the lap time came very nice. The car felt really good, everything felt great and it’s amazing to be on pole.“Hopefully we can play a team game tomorrow to win ... in the past we were very strong in qualifying and struggling a bit in the race. This year we have a stronger race car, so I hope that we can finally make it tomorrow.”Leclerc’s time of one minute 41.365 seconds was 0.321 quicker than Piastri’s best effort.The Australian had been third after the first flying laps, with Ferrari one-two, but found some extra speed with his final effort.“I got a little bit close to the walls on the last lap; just tried to get the most out of it,” said Piastri, who agreed last week to obey team orders to help Norris but is unlikely to be in a position to be asked now.“This track rewards commitment and the last lap in Q3, I knew a had a little less to lose, so just tried to maximise the car.”Norris could only watch as a spectator after going out at the first hurdle when a yellow flag was displayed briefly at the end of the first phase and scuppered his last attempt to get out of the bottom five.“Everyone did their second laps and I didn’t,” he told Sky Sports television.“It was unlucky, that’s all. I had to lift. There’s a long race ahead, we have some good tyres in the bank, I’m still hopeful we can get a good result.“I think the car is quick. Bit frustrating, but nothing I can do,” he said.The Briton moved up a place from 17th after Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, who qualified 13th, was disqualified for a fuel flow irregularity but given permission to start the race.McLaren boss Andrea Stella said his team were discussing with the governing FIA why the yellow flag was triggered by Esteban Ocon’s Alpine, which had not stopped.“There was a situation that ideally, and I think by the regulations, shouldn’t have happened. We paid the price but we don’t give up,” he added. Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton qualified seventh with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso eighth and the Williams of Argentine rookie Franco Colapinto and Alex Albon ninth and 10th respectively.Albon’s hopes of moving up were wrecked when he left the pits with a yellow cooling fan lodged in the car’s airbox.He stopped, removed the bulky item from behind his head and threw it onto the side of the track but missed the chance of a final lap.“I’m not kicking the team. I feel like sometimes these things can happen and we’ve just got to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” said the Thai.Williams were fined €5,000 ($5,538.00).

Juventus were held to a goalless draw at Empoli in Serie A on Saturday ahead of their return to the Champions League, while Bologna came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Como.Thiago Motta’s side take temporary lead of the Italian top flight, one point ahead of Inter Milan, Torino and Udinese, who are all yet to play this weekend.But Juve underwhelmed in Tuscany, creating very little in a performance that offered little to worry PSV Eindhoven, who visit Turin on Tuesday evening.Dusan Vlahovic went closest for Juve four minutes at half-time when he shot straight at Deviz Vasquez after being sent racing towards goal.And Juve had Federico Gatti to thank for a goal-saving tackle in the fifth minute of stoppage time which denied Emmanuel Gyasi which would have been a stunning winner.Juventus will take part in the revamped Champions League after a year away from European football following a UEFA ban for financial fair play violations.Earlier debutant Samuel Iling-Junior saved Bologna ahead of their first ever match in the Champions League with the late equaliser in their 2-2 draw at Como. Substitute Iling-Junior struck a brilliant curling finish in the first minute of stoppage time of an exciting game at Como, who were playing their first top-flight home match in 21 years.Bologna played one tie in the old European Cup in 1964 and host Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday without a win this season under new coach Vincenzo Italiano.Italiano’s team, who also netted through Santiago Castro, have three points from their first four matches while Como have two after throwing away a great chance to win at Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia.Patrick Cutrone, who forced Nicolo Casale’s early own goal, looked to have won the match for his hometown team Como in the 53rd minute when he rammed in hosts’ second.Cutrone, 26, was born in Como and signed for the ambitious lakeside outfit - owned by tobacco giant Djarum - two years ago when they were still in Serie B.Como had played their first three matches of the campaign away from home to give the club time to increase the Sinigaglia’s capacity to around 10,500 places and bring it in line with Serie A regulations.Serie A giants AC Milan last night hosted Venezia and wasted little time to score four goals in the first half. AC Milan won 4-0.

Gainesville, Virginia: A US team eager to end a seven-year Solheim Cup title drought enjoyed a dream start on the opening day on Friday in Virginia, taking a 6-2 lead over Europe behind the sensational play of Nelly Korda, Megan Khang, Rose Zhang and others.The US won three of their four foursome matches in the morning to take a 3-1 lead and stretched the advantage to 6-2 in the afternoon four-ball session for the largest lead ever recorded after the first day of the team event.“It has been a really good day,” said US captain Stacy Lewis. “Things played out the way we were hoping. I’m really happy with the pairings I was able to put out and the players produced some great shots, some great scores, and got us a ton of points.”World No.1 Korda came skipping out of the tunnel to the first tee and never put a foot wrong all day.Alongside partner Allisen Corpuz, the duo notched a 3&2 victory over Esther Henseleit and Charley Hull in the opening foursome match of the day to grab the early momentum for the home side.Korda and Khang then proceeded to crushed Georgia Hall and Leona Maguire 6&4 in the opening four-ball match of the afternoon thanks to some blistering drives by Korda as the pair feasted on the course’s par-fives.“When you have a teammate who is so pure off the tee you never have to worry, you just have to send it,” said Korda, who teed off first for the pair on every hole.“That was the motto, I was going to go first and send it and if I sent it in the wrong direction, I knew I had a really good partner who would go next,” she said with a laugh. “Nelly doesn’t miss it often,” Khang noted.Korda pumped her fist after guiding an eagle putt into the hole on 14 to seal the 6&4 win and put the US up 4-1. Europe scored an important point when Solheim Cup veteran Anna Nordqvist’s birdie on 13 delivered a 6&5 match win for her and partner Madelene Sagstrom over Americans Lexi Thompson and Alison Lee to cut the US lead to 4-2.But that would be the last highlight of the day for the visitors.Zhang and Andrea Lee overcame a slow start but played last six holes at eight-under par for a convincing 5&4 win over Europe’s Linn Grant and Charley Hull.The American rookie duo of Lauren Coughlin and Sarah Schmelzel both looked comfortable on the biggest stage in women’s team golf, Coughlin nailing a long birdie putt to beat Emily Pedersen and Maja Stark 3&2 for the 6-2 overnight lead.The US is looking to win the Solheim Cup for the first time since 2017. Europe retained the trophy for a third consecutive time last year when they clawed their way back from an early deficit for a 14-14 tie in Spain.

Liam Livingstone smashed a magnificent 87 from 47 balls as England beat Australia by three wickets at Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens on Friday to level their three match T20 series 1-1 and set up a Sunday decider in Manchester.Livingstone’s second half century in his 50th T20 match for England set the crowd rocking and came after Australia, with Jake Fraser-McGurk hitting his first international 50, had set the hosts a target of 194.Captain Phil Salt hit three successive sixes in the third over before Sean Abbott pegged England back with two quick wickets in the fourth, Fraser-McGurk catching Will Jacks for 12 before Jordan Cox was bowled for a second ball duck.Salt went for 39 off 23 balls, caught by Abbott, but the experienced Livingstone’s tremendous partnership with newcomer Jacob Bethell (44 from 24) steadied the hosts and set them on the path to victory.Livingstone hit six fours and five sixes before he was bowled by Matt Short - who ended his evening with five wickets - with one run required.Adil Rashid came in and closed the game out with a quick single and six balls remaining as England equalled the highest successful T20 run chase at Sophia Gardens.The victory cancelled Wednesday’s opening 28 run defeat in Southampton.“I feel like I’m in decent nick with bat and bowl. I’m enjoying my cricket, it’s nice to play with a smile on my face,” Livingstone, player of the match, told Sky Sports television. “Bethell is an incredible talent. He’s got a great head on young shoulders. Exciting talent. He’s a fearless kid and to play like that is pretty special.”Australia had Travis Head captaining Australia for the first time in place of the unwell Mitchell Marsh but he was unable to repeat Wednesday’s fireworks and was despatched for 31 off 14 balls after England won the toss.Rashid made the catch after Head struck straight to him at point off Brydon Carse’s second ball of the match in the fifth over.Australia were 67-1 after the powerplay and 87-2 when Rashid clean bowled opener Short for 28 off 24 balls.Fraser-McGurk reached his 50 from 31 deliveries but was then caught by Jamie Overton off Livingstone two balls later with Australia on 119-3. “I’ve done some No.3 work in the Big Bash and IPL so it wasn’t foreign. Just the first time I did it in international cricket,” said the Australian. “I was just happy to get above 20 for the first time in a while.”Overton repeated his catch, for Livingstone’s second wicket, after Marcus Stoinis lofted the ball high to him at long on and was out for two with the visitors at 131-4.Tim David walked at 157-5 after a player review, caught behind by Salt off a short ball from Carse and Josh Inglish followed him, this time caught by Carse on Sam Curran’s first of the over with Australia 157-6.“We got a really good score and we got really close,” said Head. “You do your best and it doesn’t always work. Jake Fraser-McGurk played nicely. We didn’t get the win and we move on to Manchester.”BRIEF SCORESAustralia 193/6, 20 overs (McGurk 50, Inglis 42; L Livingstone 2-16) v England 194/7, 19.0 overs (Livingstone 87, Bethell 44; Short 5-22)Toss: EnglandResult: England won by three wickets

Sweden’s undisputed pole vault king Armand Duplantis brought the curtain down on an unbeaten season with another fantastic victory in the Diamond League finals in Brussels on Friday.It was his 15th and final victory of a year in which he improved his own world record three times, up to 6.26 metres. The US-born Swede was again a world apart from the competition at the King Baudouin Stadium in cold conditions.He vaulted only three times, at 5.62, 5.92 and 6.11m, the latter a new meeting record. Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis was second with 5.82m on countback from home favourite Ben Broeders.“My legs felt terrible tonight and I’m just really tired,” admitted Duplantis, who was left ruing taking on hurdles star Karsten Warholm in a pre-event exhibition 100m race in Zurich last week.“That took a lot more from my body than I expected. With 6.11 metre I got a good result, but the world record wasn’t meant to be tonight.”Duplantis added: “Now it’s time to celebrate my beautiful season!”The opening session of the two-day finals of track and field’s elite circuit was high-octane affair, with a large percentage of some of the 82 medal winners from the Paris Oympics on show. Olympic champion Julien Alfred scorched to victory in the 100m as US rival Sha’Carri Richardson finished well down the field.It had been Richardson who triumphed in Zurich last week, edging Alfred at the line. But the Saint Lucia sprinter turned the tables when it mattered, clocking 10.88 seconds for the win. Richardson eased off well before the line in the knowledge she had been well beaten, eventually finishing eighth in the nine-woman field in 11.23sec. “I am so happy, it feels amazing to finish my season on a good note and to take the win,” said Alfred.American star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone played her cameo to a tee. The 25-year-old, who improved her own world record when winning back-to-back Olympic 400m hurdles golds in Paris, had not competed at a Diamond League event this season and was therefore ineligible for the finals.But organisers managed to lure McLaughlin-Levrone, who won a second Olympic gold in Paris with the US 4x400m relay team, to Belgium to race in invitational 200 and 400m flat races as a way to “honour” her Olympic achievements. She won her 400m race in 49.11sec, which was better than world and Olympic champion Marileidy’s winning time of 49.45sec in the 400m final proper.Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen held off a strong field for victory in the ever-competitive men’s 1500m in 3min 30.37sec. The Tokyo Olympic champion missed out on the podium in the French capital, but has been keen to make amends, once again holding off Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot and Paris Games winner Cole Hocker.Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh, the world and Olympic champion and world record holder, notched up her eighth consecutive Diamond League win with a best of 1.97m, winning on countback from Australian Nicola Olyslagers.But there was a rare defeat for Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali, the double Olympic gold medallist and two-time world champion, in the men’s 3000m steeplechase. Kenya’s Amos Serem claimed the win in 8:06.90, with the Moroccan coming in second in 8:08.60.Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake strode home in the men’s 100m, winning in 9.93sec ahead of Americans Christian Coleman (10.00) and Fred Kerley (10.01), the Olympic bronze medallist and 2022 world champion. Blake’s teammate Tajay Gayle, the world bronze medallist, won the long jump with a season’s best of 8.28m, Olympic champion Militadis Tentoglou coming in third, 1cm behind Switzerland’s Simon Ehammer (8.16m).And there was a surprise win for Britain’s Charles Dobson in the men’s 400m, laurels taken in 44.49sec. American Valarie Allman won the women’s discus with a best of 68.47m and echoed many athletes’ sentiments after a long year of track and field. “Now it’s off season! I really can’t wait for your fries, waffles and chocolate!”

Umm Salal stunned 10-man Al Sadd 3-1 in the Ooredoo Stars League at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Friday. Kenji Gorre (2nd minute), Antonio Mance (22nd minute) and Edidiong Essien (90+3 minute) scored for Umm Salal while Al Sadd’s only goal came via a penalty strike taken by Hassan al-Haydos (70th minute).Making matters worse for Al Sadd was a second yellow card for Mohammed Waad in the 52nd minute when he brought down Oussama Tannane.The Orange Fortress outclassed the defending champions for their second win of the league to move into fourth place with six points, while Al Sadd stay third at six points. It was Al Sadd’s second loss of the league after being shocked in the opening round by Al Shamal.Umm Salal caught the The Wolves by surprise after a Omar Yahya through ball from the left was cut off by Ahmed Suhail but it went to a running in Gorre, who chested it first before managing to kick it in. The second Umm Salal goal was realised after a Gorre kick was blocked by goalkeeper Saad al-Sheeb but Gorre retrieved it on bounce back before battling a defending Suhail and pushing the ball to Mance to score.Al Sadd’s challenge to launch a fight back then began but despite their best efforts the target remained elusive for long. Among their many close runs in the opening half was Haydos missing a crucial connect near the post, a Waad kick going just wide of the right post and a powerful Rafa Mujica kick missing the top right corner. At the same time, Umm Salal goalkeeper Landing Badji was at his best as he kept many attempted hits away including one from Akram Afif at the hour mark.Both teams battled hard before Al Sadd were awarded a penalty after Marouane Louadni brought down Naim Abdulrazaq inside the danger area. A long VAR check confirmed the spot kick which was smoothly scored by Haydos to make the scores 2-1.In the 78th minute, al-Sheeb made a brilliant save to keep a shot from Umm Salal’s Khalaf Saad away. Minutes later, Gorre was within striking distance but failed to beat al-Sheeb with Boualem Khoukhi in chase putting him off balance. Umm Salal however scored a superb celebratory third goal as Al Sadd substitute tried to cut off a free kick from the left but the ball went to a lurking Essien – who rattled the top of the net with a left-foot strike.Elsewhere, Al Rayyan defeated Al Shahania 4-2 at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. The enthralling contest with all out attacking play from either side saw all but one goal being scored in the opening half. Mahmoud Hassan (fifth minute, Roger Guedes (ninth and 45+4 minutes) and Julien De Sart (15th minute) scored for Al Rayyan, while Mohammed Ibrahim (20th minute) and substitute Mohammed Ismail (90th minute) got Al Shahania’s goals.But unlike what the scoreline may suggest, Al Shahania produced spirited play despite early setbacks attacking the rival den time and again. They also got the ball into the net a second time in second half, but it was cancelled after a VAR check.This was Al Rayyan’s second win of the league championship and took their tally to six points after two defeats in the previous rounds. Al Shahania stayed on two points. It was also The Lions’ successive win over the same opponents whom they had also beaten in the first round of QSL Cup recently.Guedes not only scored two goals for the winners, he also provided a valuable assist in the opening goal and later had his two successful strikes turned down as he was found offside.In the other match on Friday, Al Gharafa and Al Shamal drew 1-1. Shamal went ahead after a own goal from Saif Fadlalla in the 11th minute, before Gharafa also benefitted off a own goal from Mohammed Khaled al-Naumi in the 36th minute.

Winner of the Group 3 Prix d’Arenberg at ParisLongchamp, the two-year-old Aesterius won the Group 2 Carlsberg Danish Pilsner Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster on Friday. Trained by Archie Watson and owned by Wathnan Racing, the superb colt has now won four of his six life starts. With James Doyle in the saddle, the son of Mehmas was leading the near side group. Quickly challenged by Big Mojo, Aesterius found more close home to lead inside the final 100 yards and win by a neck. Big Mojo took second while Magnum Force went third.