Arsenal opened its fourth straight Europa League campaign with a 2-1 come-from-behind win at Rapid Vienna on Thursday in an opening round of games affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Star striker Pierre Emerick Aubameyang came off the bench to score the winning goal in the 74th for Arsenal, which won its group in its previous three campaigns in the second-tier European competition.
Roma also came from a goal down to win 2-1 at Young Boys, as did Granada to upset PSV Eindhoven away.
Rangers’ Kemar Roofe scored the goal of the night in a 2-0 victory at Standard Liege, dribbling his way through three opponents inside his own half and then launching a shot from the halfway line that caught the goalkeeper off guard and looped into the net.
Dutch team AZ Alkmaar overcame a slew of coronavirus cases to upset Napoli 1-0.
Tottenham, AC Milan were among teams playing later Thursday.
Arsenal went behind when goalkeeper Bernd Leno played a poor pass that fell to Rapid forward Taxiarchis Fountas, who slotted in a low shot from a tough angle in the 51st minute.
Arteta sent on Aubameyang and Héctor Bellerín in the 61st, and the substitutes helped spark the comeback.
After David Luiz headed in a free kick from Nicolas Pépé to level the score, Mohamed Elneny freed Bellerín down the right to cross for Aubameyang to complete the comeback from close range.
In the other Group B game, Molde also came from behind to win 2-1 at Dundalk.
AZ Alkmaar flew into Naples with 13 players sidelined with coronavirus infections. Napoli, meanwhile, was coming off a 4-1 win over high-scoring Atalanta 4-1 this past weekend. But the Dutch staved off the hosts’ pressure before Dani de Wit scored the winner in the 57th. Real Sociedad won 1-0 at Rijeka the other Group F game.
With Roma resting striker Edin Džeko, Bruno Peres and Marash Kumbulla led the rally with the second-half goals for the Italian side.
Jean Pierre Nsame had given Young Boys the lead by converting a penalty kick in the 14th.
It was the first home loss for Young Boys to an Italian opponent in European competitions after beating Udinese, Napoli and Juventus.
Also in Group A, Romania’s Cluj won 2-0 at Bulgaria’s CSKA Sofia.
In Group C, Bayer Leverkusen produced the biggest win of the early games by beating Nice 6-2. Nadiem Amiri and Lucas Alario scored early first-half goals five minutes apart for Leverkusen, while substitute Karim Bellarabi netted two and 17-year-old forward Florian Wirtz came off the bench to complete the rout.
In a game between teams from two countries whose domestic leagues have been interrupted due to high levels of coronavirus infections, Israel’s Hapoel Beer-Sheva beat Czech Republic’s Slavia Prague 3-1.
James Tavernier gave Celtic the lead from the penalty spot in the 19th before Roofe added his spectacular second goal in injury time. Benfica won 4-2 at Lech Poznan in the other Group D game.
In Group E, German forward Mario Götze put PSV ahead in first-half injury time before Jorge Molina and Darwin Machis scored for Granada in the second half. Omonoia drew with PAOK 1-1.
Arsenal, Roma open Europa League with comeback wins
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Arsenal, Roma open Europa League with comeback wins
Liverpool rely on 16-year-old Ngumoha to overcome 10-man Newcastle fightback
- Victory takes Liverpool level on maximum points from two games with Tottenham and title rivals Arsenal, who travel to Anfield on Sunday
NEWCASTLE, United Kingdom: Liverpool needed a 100th minute winner from 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha to beat Newcastle 3-2, after blowing a two-goal lead against 10 men, in a Premier League thriller on Monday.
Ryan Gravenberch and long-time Newcastle target Hugo Ekitike struck for the English champions, either side of Anthony Gordon’s red card for a wild lunge on Virgil van Dijk.
But amid a frenzied atmosphere at St. James’ Park, the Magpies battled back through Bruno Guimaraes and William Osula only to be denied by teenage sensation Ngumoha, who became the youngest goalscorer in Liverpool’s history.
“This is also what makes the Premier League special,” said Liverpool manager Arne Slot.
“Maybe it wasn’t the best game in terms of tactics or in terms of playing football, but I think every fan everywhere around the world enjoyed watching this game of football.”
Victory takes Liverpool level on maximum points from two games with Tottenham and title rivals Arsenal, who travel to Anfield on Sunday.
Newcastle remain without a win as they miss their wantaway talisman Alexander Isak.
The Swedish striker scored the winner when the sides last met in the League Cup final in March as Newcastle lifted their first domestic trophy for 70 years.
But Isak yet to feature for Eddie Howe’s men this season as he seeks an exit from Tyneside.
Liverpool are the likely destination if Isak does leave before the transfer window closes in a week’s time.
The Reds have reportedly had one bid of £110 million ($149 million) rejected as Newcastle want a British transfer record £150 million.
Adding to the Magpies’ frustration is the fact the Premier League champions also won the race to sign Ekitike, who Newcastle had lined up as a potential Isak replacement.
After failing to land a number of striker targets in the transfer market, Newcastle’s lack of a clinical number nine was exposed as they failed to break down 10-man Aston Villa in a 0-0 draw to begin their season last weekend.
And it cost them again during a dominant opening 30 minutes.
Roared on by a ferocious capacity crowd of over 50,000, Newcastle penned Liverpool inside their own half without finding the final finish.
Instead it was the visitors who took the lead completely against the run of play on 35 minutes.
Gravenberch took aim from well outside the area and powered an inch-perfect shot off the inside of the post.
It got even worse for Newcastle before the break as Gordon took out his frustration by charging late into Van Dijk and was dismissed after a VAR review showed his studs had raked down the Dutch defender’s Achilles.
Slot had not even taken his seat for the second half by the time his side doubled their lead 20 seconds in.
Ekitike made it two goals in as many Premier League games with a composed side-footed finish from Cody Gakpo’s pass.
Newcastle’s sense of injustice only increased when Ibrahima Konate escaped a second yellow card moments later for a push on Harvey Barnes.
But this time the home players and crowd channelled their anger more positively.
Minutes after being booked for taking his protests too far, a fired up Guimaraes outmuscled Milos Kerkez to head in at the back post.
Liverpool struggled to make their man advantage count for the entirety of the second half and were made to pay.
Despite his lack of forward options, Howe has been reluctant to field Osula, but the young Dane netted just his second Premier League goal when he bundled the ball beyond Alisson Becker from a Dan Burn flick-on.
Newcastle continued to charge forward in search of a memorable winner, only to be picked out by Liverpool’s attacking quality.
Mohamed Salah’s pass was brilliantly dummied by Dominik Szoboszlai to leave Ngumoha unmarked to curl calmly into the far corner just days before his 17th birthday.
Global e-sports conference in Riyadh ends with new tournaments announced, industry deals signed
- More than 1,500 delegates, 500 CEOs attend event organized by Esports World Cup Federation
- Ubisoft announce plan to make UNESCO World Heritage site AlUla playable in ‘Assassin’s Creed Mirage’
RIYADH: The New Global Sport Conference 2025, held alongside the closing weekend of the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, finished Monday with a series of announcements and partnerships aimed at shaping the future of gaming and electronic sports.
The event, organized by the Esports World Cup Foundation, brought together more than 1,500 delegates, including 500 CEOs from the gaming, sports, technology and investment sectors.
Senior Saudi officials, including Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal and Saudi Esports Federation Chairman Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, outlined the Kingdom’s ambitions to make gaming and e-sports a driver of future economic growth.
A key announcement was the launch of the Esports Nations Cup, the first international competition where national teams will represent their countries.
The inaugural edition is scheduled for November 2026. Ubisoft’s Francois-Xavier Deniele said: “There is something different with nations, this sentiment of pride that continues to grow around the world.”
Hans Jagnow, director of NGSC 2025, said the scale of collaboration marked a turning point for the industry.
“NGSC 2025 has solidified its role as the platform where the future of our industries is shaped,” he said. “The outcomes of this year’s conference will set the direction of our industry and drive the growth and transformation of gaming and e-sports worldwide.”
Ubisoft also unveiled a partnership with Saudi Arabia to recreate AlUla, a UNESCO World Heritage site, as free playable content in “Assassin’s Creed Mirage.”
CEO Yves Guillemot described it as “an opportunity to share Saudi Arabia’s cultural heritage with players worldwide.”
Panels and sessions featured leading figures including World Chess Champion and Esports World Cup winner Magnus Carlsen, Olympic gold medalist Alex Morgan, LA28 Olympics Chairman Casey Wasserman, Twitch CEO Dan Clancy, and game creator Hideo Kojima.
Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, said: “Players need more opportunity, more great stages, more moments where they can become heroes.”
Morgan urged an “athlete-first approach,” while Wasserman underlined the need for inclusive competition structures.
Over the course of the conference, more than 250 meetings were held and 30 agreements signed, including with UNICEF, the World Football Summit, Savvy Games Group and AWS.
NGSC 2025 also introduced two new formats: The Foundry, focused on start-up pitches and investment, and NGSC Studio, which broadcast live sessions to more than 100,000 viewers worldwide.
The event will return to Riyadh in 2026.
A healer and a fighter: the double life of UFC star Shi Ming
SHANGHAI: By day Shi Ming heals patients as a traditional Chinese medicine doctor. By night she trains to deliver brutal knockouts in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Shi shot to fame in November when she won a contract with UFC with a devastating kick that saw Chinese compatriot Feng Xiaocan carried out of the octagon on a stretcher.
There was no trace of that ferocity in the demure, softly spoken figure AFP met last week ahead of her UFC debut.
Dressed in baby pink with large round glasses resting gently on her nose, Shi said she has to “brainwash” herself before each fight to overcome her instinct not to cause harm.
“I do hold back a little,” the 30-year-old said.
“In several past matches I didn’t finish someone off when I had the chance, which allowed my opponents to recover and nearly reverse the outcome.”
“I need to adjust myself for every match, not overthinking things. Before each competition I always brainwash myself to stay focused on the match,” she added.
The ruthless victory over Feng in Macau propelled her into the mixed martial arts spotlight, in the process also revealing her other life to her parents, who had been unaware she was involved in the sport at all.
On Friday thousands of Chinese fans packed a Shanghai arena to rally behind her, cheering loudly every time she landed a strike.
Shi ultimately lost by decision, but still received a huge ovation, with fans screaming “Go Dr. Shi!” as she bowed gratefully.
The diminutive fighter still works full-time in her home city of Kunming, in southwest Yunnan province.
“I still prioritize my medical work and only focus on training after I finish all my duties,” she said.
Her days typically begin at the hospital, where she consults patients, prescribes medicine and performs acupuncture.
Once work is finished, she spends hours training at a wrestling club alongside amateurs from all walks of life.
As a child she practiced taekwondo and the Chinese fighting system sanda, only starting MMA as a young adult.
Physically, Shi does not fit the image of a professional fighter.
She describes herself as near-sighted, without a long reach and short — her opponent on Friday, Bruna Brasil, was four inches taller than her.
“People used to assume I would lose,” she said.
“I’m under a lot of pressure these days. I feel like if I lose now, I might disappoint a lot of people.”
Despite still not fully understanding the sport and worrying about injury her parents support her unconditionally.
In a recent UFC interview, her mother tearfully recalled Shi’s teenage training years.
“It hasn’t been easy for her to persist until now,” she said. “I’m incredibly proud and comforted by how far she’s come.”
Shi told AFP she would not be giving up her day job anytime soon.
The reliable income allows her to fund her MMA training and coaching.
“I never put all my eggs in one basket,” she said.
“I find joy in both practicing medicine and fighting.”
Healing runs in her family — both her grandparents were doctors — and she often treats her own fight injuries with acupuncture.
“When I was young ... I helped in (my grandparents’) clinic every holiday and I wanted to be a doctor from then on,” she said.
“I think it’s a job that is very respected and can help my friends and family.”
But she said she might consider focusing more on MMA if she climbs up the UFC rankings.
After her loss on Friday she said she felt she had “let the whole of China down.”
But fans on social media were undeterred.
“Dr. Shi squeezes in training between giving injections. Reaching this level as a part-timer is already top-tier,” read one comment.
“She’s only going to get stronger!”
Full card revealed for 2025 PFL MENA semifinals
- 2024 PFL MENA finalist Mohammad Alaqraa meets Ayman Galal in headline welterweight semifinal bout
- Lightweight champion Mohsen Mohammadseifi faces Mohammad Fahmi in lightweight semifinal co-main event
RIYADH: The full fight card for PFL MENA Semifinals: Champions Collide has been announced by the Professional Fighters League.
The event will take place on Saturday, Sept. 27 at The Arena in Riyadh, with regional champions facing off to secure their spots in the PFL MENA Finals in the bantamweight, featherweight, lightweight and welterweight divisions. Tickets will go on sale later this week.
In the main event, 2024 PFL MENA welterweight finalist Mohammad Alaqraa (8-1) of Kuwait will face Egypt’s Ayman “The Maestro” Galal (4-1, 2 NC) in a welterweight semifinal contest. Alaqraa comes on the back of a unanimous decision win over Omar Hussein at PFL MENA 1, while Galal enters the semifinals after his loss at PFL MENA 2 was overturned.
In the co-main event, 2024 PFL MENA lightweight champion Mohsen “The Golden Boy” Mohammadseifi (8-2) of Iran will take on the undefeated Mohammad “Soulkeeper” Fahmi (5-0) of Iraq in a lightweight semifinal matchup. Mohammadseifi is on an eight-fight winning streak and is fresh from a win over Ahmed El-Sisy at PFL MENA 1 earlier this year. Fahmi, on the other hand, was successful in his PFL MENA debut, choking out Georges Eid, also at PFL MENA 1.
In a featherweight showcase bout, Saudi Arabia’s own Malik Basahel (1-0) looks to stay undefeated as a pro when he meets Egyptian Ahmed “Ninja” Mostafa (3-1). Basahel was impressive in his professional debut, winning by TKO in the second round. Mostafa, meanwhile, makes his PFL MENA debut having won three of his first four professional bouts.
Also on the card, Egypt’s Islam “The Egyptian Zombie” Reda (13-1) goes up against the undefeated Taha “Atlas Lion” Bendaoud (5-0) of Morocco in a featherweight semifinal bout. Originally a semifinalist in the inaugural season of PFL MENA, Reda is riding a seven-fight winning streak and comes off a third-round TKO win at PFL MENA 1 last May. Bendaoud, meanwhile, was dominant in his PFL MENA debut, scoring a first-round submission win at PFL MENA 1.
Vuelta leader Jonas Vingegaard loses injured teammate and team loses stolen bikes
- Team Visma-Lease a Bike said police in Italy are investigating the theft of ‘several bikes’ from an equipment truck
- Vingegaard, a two-time Tour de France winner, is favored to win this year’s Vuelta
CERES, Italy: On the morning after Jonas Vingegaard took the leader’s red jersey at the Spanish Vuelta with a stage win, he lost a teammate Monday and his team lost some bicycles that were stolen.
Team Visma-Lease a Bike said police in Italy are investigating the theft of “several bikes” from an equipment truck though it was unclear if Vingegaard will be affected in stage three later Monday.
“Our mechanics are working hard to ensure that the team is fully prepared for the third stage,” the team said in a statement.
Vingegaard will be missing the support of Axel Zingle for the 19 days left in the Vuelta having crashed in the rain-soaked stage Sunday that also caught up the team leader. Vingegaard went on to win with a bloodied elbow.
Visma said “our medical team had to decide that Axel Zingle is not fit enough to continue the Vuelta. His first Grand Tour with the team comes to an early end.”
Monday’s third stage is a 134.6-kilometer (83.6-mile) ride with an uphill finish into Ceres in the Italian Alps north west of Turin.
Vingegaard, a two-time Tour de France winner, is favored to win the Vuelta after this year’s Tour winner Tadej Pogacar and four-time Vuelta winner Primoz Roglic skipped the race.
