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Man United and Tottenham Reach Europa League Round of 16

Soccer Football - Europa League - FCSB v Manchester United - National Arena, Bucharest, Romania - January 30, 2025 Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo celebrates scoring their second goal Inquam Photos via REUTERS/Stefan Constantin
Soccer Football - Europa League - FCSB v Manchester United - National Arena, Bucharest, Romania - January 30, 2025 Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo celebrates scoring their second goal Inquam Photos via REUTERS/Stefan Constantin
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Man United and Tottenham Reach Europa League Round of 16

Soccer Football - Europa League - FCSB v Manchester United - National Arena, Bucharest, Romania - January 30, 2025 Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo celebrates scoring their second goal Inquam Photos via REUTERS/Stefan Constantin
Soccer Football - Europa League - FCSB v Manchester United - National Arena, Bucharest, Romania - January 30, 2025 Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo celebrates scoring their second goal Inquam Photos via REUTERS/Stefan Constantin

Manchester United and Tottenham put their inconsistent domestic campaigns aside and advanced to the Europa League round of 16 on Thursday.
Diogo Dalot tapped in a precise cross by Kobbie Mainoo on the hour mark and Mainoo netted eight minutes later for a 2-0 victory over Romanian champion FCSB in Bucharest, The Associated Press reported.
Tottenham got goals from academy graduates to beat Swedish club Elfsborg 3-0 in London. Spurs waited until the 70th minute for substitute Dane Scarlett to break the deadlock before adding two more through substitute Damola Ajayi and 17-year-old Mikey Moore.
Of the 36 teams in the revamped competition, the top eight go directly to the round of 16 in March. Teams ranked ninth to 24th go into the two-legged knockout playoffs on Feb. 13 and Feb. 20 with the winners making the last 16.
The draw is scheduled for Friday.
United, which is 12th in the Premier League, competed the league phase of the second-tier European competition in third place and undefeated with five wins and three draws, trailing the top by one point.
“Kobbie (Mainoo) played very well in that position, with more freedom and not so much responsibility running back all the time,” United manager Ruben Amorim told TNT Sports. “The lads did a good job, another clean sheet.”
Amorim's squad has shown signs of improvement since he said the team was “the worst, maybe, in the history of Manchester United.”
Thursday's victory was the third straight in one week after beating Rangers in the Europa League a week ago and Fulham in the Premier League three days later.
Tottenham is languishing in 15th place in the Premier League. Its seven-match winless run in the league is its worst since 2008. But it won five, drew two and lost one for the fourth place in the Europa League.
Lazio, the only team that qualified to the round of 16 with a game to spare, was handed its first defeat, 1-0, away at Braga. Still, the Portuguese team was eliminated.
Lazio still topped the standings with 19th points, the same as the second Athletic Bilbao.
Bilbao secured the second place after a 3-1 home win over 10-man Viktoria Plzen, which has a playoff spot.
Frankfurt completed the league phase in fifth despite a 2-0 loss at Roma. Angeliño and Eldor Shomurodov lifted Roma with the goals at Stadio Olimpico.
Lyon was sixth despite being held 1-1 at home by Ludogorets.
Olympiacos in seventh after routing Qarabag 3-0.
Rangers squeezed in to complete the top eight by beating Union Saint-Gilloise 2-1.
José Mourinho’s Fenerbahce avoided an embarrassing early exit with a 2-2 away draw at Denmark’s Midtjylland. The result sent both into the playoffs. The hosts were 20th while Midtjylland took 24th, giving Mourinho a chance to add to his European trophies.
Ajax ended a three-game losing streak by handing Galatasaray its first defeat, 2-1 with both teams making the playoffs.
Hoffenheim's 4-3 away win at Anderlecht was not enough for the Bundesliga team to advance. The Belgian club finished 10th.
Real Sociedad, FCSB, Porto, AZ Alkmaar, Twente and PAOK are among other teams that advanced.

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Sports

Paolini's Italian Open Title Defense Ends Ahead of Sinner Bow

Italy's Jasmine Paolini reacts at the end of the match against Belgium's Elise Mertens at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Italy's Jasmine Paolini reacts at the end of the match against Belgium's Elise Mertens at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
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Paolini's Italian Open Title Defense Ends Ahead of Sinner Bow

Italy's Jasmine Paolini reacts at the end of the match against Belgium's Elise Mertens at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Italy's Jasmine Paolini reacts at the end of the match against Belgium's Elise Mertens at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Jasmine Paolini's defense of her Italian Open title came to an early end on Saturday after the home favorite was knocked out in the third round by Elise Mertens, as Jannik Sinner bids to continue his record-breaking Masters 1000 winning streak.

Local favorite Paolini was beaten 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 by Mertens following an error-strewn performance in front of disappointed fans on center court.

The 30-year-old is set to drop out of the top 10 of the women's world rankings after failing to reach the fourth round of a fourth consecutive tournament.

Paolini won both the women's singles and doubles tournaments in Rome last year but she has looked a shadow of that player this season with a string of early exits.

Her fate turned on her failure to capitalize on three match points against the serve at 6-5 in the second set, after which she lost the first two points of the tie-break and never recovered from there.

"I didn't make the most of my chances, I needed to keep a clearer head, keep my cool better in those moments," Paolini told reporters, according to AFP.

"I'm very disappointed to lose but there were moments in which I felt good on the court and I was competitive and positive."

Mertens, who lost last year's women's doubles final to Paolini and Sara Errani, could face eighth seed Mirra Andreeva in the next round.

Coco Gauff, beaten by Paolini in last year's singles final, took over two hours to beat Argentina's Solana Sierra 5-7, 6-0, 6-4.

The world number four and reigning French Open champion will face either her fellow American Taylor Townsend, a qualifier, or Iva Jovic in the next round.

Gauff has struggled on clay this season, with a last-16 exit in the Madrid Open coming after a disappointing run to the quarter-finals in Stuttgart.

The 22-year-old is on the same side of the draw as world number one Aryna Sabalenka, who faces Romania's Sorana Cirstea.

Sinner will take to an expectant center court later on Saturday as a hot favorite to extend his run of five consecutive Masters 1000 tournament victories.

Austria's Sebastian Ofner stands in the way of Sinner winning a 24th straight match, with few expecting anything more than a rapid victory in straight sets.

No Italian man has won at the Foro Italico since Adriano Panatta 50 years ago, and with Carlos Alcaraz out of action Sinner is expected to go one better than last year when he lost the final to his great rival.

Former winner Daniil Medvedev will begin his campaign in the third round after his match, which was scheduled to be the first on center court, was shelved after his opponent Tomas Machac pulled out of the tournament with an unspecified illness.

Fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime suffered a shock second-round defeat at the hands of Argentina's Mariano Navone, the Canadian losing to his 44th-ranked opponent in straight sets 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/5).

Sports

Liverpool Settles for 1-1 Draw with Chelsea amid Boos at Anfield

Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez (top) celebrates with team-mate Wesley Fofana after scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Chelsea in Liverpool, England, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)
Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez (top) celebrates with team-mate Wesley Fofana after scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Chelsea in Liverpool, England, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)
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Liverpool Settles for 1-1 Draw with Chelsea amid Boos at Anfield

Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez (top) celebrates with team-mate Wesley Fofana after scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Chelsea in Liverpool, England, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)
Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez (top) celebrates with team-mate Wesley Fofana after scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Chelsea in Liverpool, England, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

Liverpool stumbled to a 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Anfield to merely inch toward Champions League qualification on Saturday as the visitors snapped their six-game Premier League losing streak.

Enzo Fernandez's bouncing free kick found its way into the net in the 36th minute to equalize for Chelsea after Ryan Gravenberch's early goal, The AP news reported.

Arne Slot's team heard boos at the final whistle after another inconsistent performance — the type that has marked their season as defending Premier League champions.

Fourth-place Liverpool is still on course to secure Champions League qualification, which it can achieve with a victory in its next game — at Aston Villa next Friday.

Gravenberch opened the scoring by curling a shot into the top right corner from just outside the area in the sixth minute.

Fernandez equalized with a long-range free kick in the 36th. He curled a bouncing strike into the area, off the far post and into the net. Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili stood frozen in anticipation of Wesley Fofana's attempt to redirect the ball but the Chelsea defender missed it. The ball then bounced, hit the post, and went in.

Liverpool went close in the 79th minute when Virgil van Dijk's header hit the bar. Eight minutes earlier, Dominik Szoboszlai hit the post with a shot from outside the area.

Sports

Lens Secure Champions League Spot and Send Nantes Down

Lens' Portuguese midfielder #04 Mezian Mesloub Soares (C-L) celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's first goal during the French L1 football match between RC Lens and FC Nantes at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis stadium in Lens on May 8, 2026. (Photo by Francois LO PRESTI / AFP)
Lens' Portuguese midfielder #04 Mezian Mesloub Soares (C-L) celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's first goal during the French L1 football match between RC Lens and FC Nantes at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis stadium in Lens on May 8, 2026. (Photo by Francois LO PRESTI / AFP)
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Lens Secure Champions League Spot and Send Nantes Down

Lens' Portuguese midfielder #04 Mezian Mesloub Soares (C-L) celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's first goal during the French L1 football match between RC Lens and FC Nantes at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis stadium in Lens on May 8, 2026. (Photo by Francois LO PRESTI / AFP)
Lens' Portuguese midfielder #04 Mezian Mesloub Soares (C-L) celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's first goal during the French L1 football match between RC Lens and FC Nantes at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis stadium in Lens on May 8, 2026. (Photo by Francois LO PRESTI / AFP)

Teenage substitute Mezian Mesloub gave Lens a 1-0 win over Nantes in Ligue 1 on Friday to clinch his side qualification for next season's Champions League, while relegating Nantes to the second tier.

The result also keeps the Ligue 1 title race alive with second-placed Lens the only team that can still pip Paris Saint-Germain to the trophy.

The 16-year-old substitute Mesloub picked up a loose ball in the box with his first touch in the 79th minute and fired home with his second to break the deadlock on his Ligue 1 debut, AFP reported.

Lens are now guaranteed a top-three finish in Ligue 1 after moving nine points clear of fourth-placed Lille, with both teams having two matches remaining.

The top three teams in Ligue 1 qualify automatically for the Champions League phase, while the fourth-placed side heads into the qualifying rounds.

Lens, whose budget is not even a 10th of Champions League finalists PSG, are still to play the Parisians who lead them by three points and have a game in hand.

Following the win, the sell-out 38,000 crowd at Lens' Stade Bollaert stayed behind for extravagant celebrations, with the players heralded one at a time on a spotlit center-circle with fireworks flaming.

Stopping PSG remains an outside chance, but Lens are also eyeing silverware in the French Cup, with the final against Nice on May 22.

Lens, the 1998 French champions, were the surprise package earlier in the season as they reached the winter break top of the table.

Lens had three goals ruled out for offside or handball Friday as Nantes held them at bay largely thanks to goalkeeper Anthony Lopes.

Nantes are now guaranteed to finish in the bottom two and will be relegated from Ligue 1.

Club great Vahid Halilhodzic took over as the third coach of their season in March but could not save the Canaries.

PSG play Brest at home on Sunday but the Lens win has prevented them from mathematically wrapping up a fifth straight title this weekend.

However, their far superior goal difference means victory would all but wrap up top spot.

Luis Enrique's men will face Arsenal in the Champions League final on May 30 after beating Bayern Munich 6-5 on aggregate in the semi-finals.