Without Ronaldo, Al-Nassr Draws at Persepolis in Last AFC Champions League Group Game https://english.aawsat.com/sports/5113316-without-ronaldo-al-nassr-draws-persepolis-last-afc-champions-league-group-game%C2%A0
Without Ronaldo, Al-Nassr Draws at Persepolis in Last AFC Champions League Group Game
Serdar Durban of Persepolis (L) and Mohammed Al Fatil of Al-Nassr (C) in action during the AFC Champions League match Persepolis FC against Al-Nassr FC, in Tehran, Iran, 17 February 2025. (EPA)
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Without Ronaldo, Al-Nassr Draws at Persepolis in Last AFC Champions League Group Game
Serdar Durban of Persepolis (L) and Mohammed Al Fatil of Al-Nassr (C) in action during the AFC Champions League match Persepolis FC against Al-Nassr FC, in Tehran, Iran, 17 February 2025. (EPA)
After leaving Cristiano Ronaldo at home, Al-Nassr drew 0-0 away against Iranian club Persepolis on Monday in the last round of the AFC Champions League Elite group stage.
The Saudi Arabian team had already secured a place in the round of 16 of the continental competition and coach Stefano Pioli took a weakened team to Tehran.
Al-Nassr finished third in the West group behind fellow Saudi Arabian clubs Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal. The top eight advance from each of the two 12-team groups, divided into eastern and western geographic zones.
Al-Ahli beat Al-Gharafa of Qatar 4-2 with former Premier League players Ivan Toney, Riyad Mahrez and Roberto Firmino all scoring, along with Brazilian winger Galeno.
Also, Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan defeated Qatar’s Al-Sadd 2-1 to move into the second round.
15 August 2026, United Kingdom, London: Chelsea's Morgan Rogers celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the pre-season friendly soccer match between Chelsea and Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge. (dpa)
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Five Premier League Stars to Watch This Season
15 August 2026, United Kingdom, London: Chelsea's Morgan Rogers celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the pre-season friendly soccer match between Chelsea and Real Sociedad at Stamford Bridge. (dpa)
The new Premier League season kicks off on Friday, setting the stage for a galaxy of stars to shine in the 2026-27 campaign.
AFP Sport looks at five players to watch:
Morgan Rogers (Chelsea)
Signed for a British record £117 million ($158 million) from Aston Villa, the England midfielder will be expected to lead the Xabi Alonso revolution at Stamford Bridge.
Rogers is Chelsea's marquee close-season recruit and must live up to his eye-watering price tag if Alonso is to revitalize the Blues after their dismal 10th-place finish in the Premier League last season.
The 24-year-old arrives fresh from helping Villa end their 30-year trophy drought by winning the Europa League.
Rogers' friendship with Chelsea forward Cole Palmer from their time together in Manchester City's youth academy will help his acclimation, but Alonso must find a way to harness the talents of two players that operate in similar areas of the pitch.
Elliot Anderson (Manchester City)
The 23-year-old held the record as the most expensive British player for just a matter of days before being eclipsed by Morgan Rogers' move to Chelsea.
Signed from Nottingham Forest for £116 million, Anderson has the formidable task of replacing the prodigious output of Rodri and Bernardo Silva.
Spain World Cup winner Rodri has joined Barcelona, while Silva moved to Real Madrid, leaving a huge void in City's midfield that Anderson must fill for new boss Enzo Maresca to enjoy a successful debut season.
Anderson's astute reading of the game, smooth passing and composed demeanor earned the England international his big-money move and a massive pay rise.
Now he has to justify that huge expense as City try to dethrone champions Arsenal after two years without a Premier League title.
Bruno Guimaraes (Arsenal)
The Brazil midfielder was Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta's consolation prize after missing out on Morgan Rogers.
The Gunners declined to match Chelsea's record-breaking offer for Rogers and pivoted to Guimaraes, who makes the champions' already formidable squad even stronger.
Arsenal paid £75 million to sign the Newcastle captain and he will slot in alongside Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard in midfield.
"Since the first day he came in, it has been such a natural thing," Arsenal captain Odegaard said of Guimaraes' transition.
"Although we had some big fights with him in the past, he has just come in as a real natural part of the team.
"He can win the ball, he's a fighter. But he also has so much quality and is calm on the ball."
Pre-Season Friendly - Tottenham Hotspur v TSG 1899 Hoffenheim - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - August 15, 2026 Tottenham Hotspur's Sandro Tonali celebrates after the match. (Reuters)
Sandro Tonali (Tottenham)
The Italy midfielder took just 10 minutes to agree to become Tottenham's record signing. Now he must show that rapid decision was the right move for himself and his new club.
With his relentless work ethic and quality in possession, the 26-year-old was a key figure in Newcastle's renaissance before their dip last season.
Looking to take his career to new heights, Tonali was quickly convinced to join Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi's overhaul of a club that are looking upwards after narrowly avoiding relegation in May.
"When you are happy after a 10-minute chat, everything is perfect," said Tonali, who acknowledged the size of his fee brings "a lot of pressure".
Jeremy Jacquet (Liverpool)
Jacquet has been signed to quell the mounting concern about a creaky defense that lacked the authority of Liverpool's title-winning unit in 2025.
Now 35, Virgil van Dijk no longer looks impregnable.
The Liverpool captain's struggles were exacerbated by the woes of his defensive colleagues last term.
Ibrahima Konate has joined Real Madrid, while Andrew Robertson moved to Tottenham.
Jacquet, 21, had to wait for his Anfield move after a £60 million switch from Rennes was agreed in the winter transfer window.
And Van Dijk acknowledged their nascent partnership at the heart of Liverpool's defense is a work in progress.
"It's pretty clear that you need to form a connection together and that takes a bit of time," he said.
"That's absolutely normal, but hopefully we can get that going as quickly as possible."
No.1 Sabalenka Slams Wang to Advance at Cincinnatihttps://english.aawsat.com/sports/5308673-no1-sabalenka-slams-wang-advance-cincinnati
Aryna Sabalenka celebrates her win against Xinyu Wang of China during day eight of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 18, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. (Getty Images/AFP)
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No.1 Sabalenka Slams Wang to Advance at Cincinnati
Aryna Sabalenka celebrates her win against Xinyu Wang of China during day eight of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 18, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. (Getty Images/AFP)
Aryna Sabalenka unleashed her big game with devastating effect on Tuesday, hammering China's Wang Xinyu 6-1, 6-3 to reach the fourth round of the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters.
The world number one took only 20 minutes to blow through the first set against her 36th-ranked opponent and began the second set with a break of serve.
Sabalenka kept up the pressure in the second set with Wang double-faulting on the top seed's first match point after 54 minutes.
The victory marked the 45th in a row for Sabalenka at the Masters 1000 level.
"I cannot complain. She's a tough opponent," Sabalenka said. "To win in straight sets like this in under an hour is insane.
"I'm super happy to be through. I really trusted myself and went for my shots. I wasn't over-thinking. I was able to stay focused and be in every point."
Sabalenka next plays Czach Sara Bejlek, a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 winner over Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Fourth seed Coco Gauff needed to battle following a sizzling first set in a 6-1, 7-6 (7/3) victory over fellow American Ann Li.
The 2023 champion had it all her own way in the opening set against her 29th-ranked foe, winning in 30 minutes. The pair exchanged early breaks in the second on the way to a tie-breaker, in which Gauff seized a 4-1 lead and won on her third match point.
"She played better in the second set and I missed a couple of break opportunities," Gauff said. "I tried to forget about those.
"It was hard to control the ball for both of us and it was my first time playing a day match on this center court so I had to adjust to that."
Mirra Andreeva's French Open reigning champion status counted for little as the fifth seed struggled to close out a 6-1, 7-6 (7/5) victory over Janice Tjen.
The Indonesian challenger, ranked 37, was bowled over in the first set but made Andreeva work to finally advance.
"In the first I was in command and she had unforced errors here and there, but in the second after a couple of games I started getting nervous, she made fewer mistakes -- it turned into a match of mentality and physicality," Andreeva said.
Eighth seed Elina Svitolina was forced to withdraw before her match against Wang Xiyu with an ankle injury.
"I've been advised by the doctors to take a little bit of time to rest and recover completely," the Ukrainian said in a statement.
Canada's second-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime eliminated Argentina's Juan Manuel Cerundolo 7-5, 6-1 in 90 minutes.
"It was a tricky start, finding my rhythm," the Canadian said. "Lefties are tricky, you don't play them so often. You can prepare all you want but until you step onto the court, you can't find your right adjustments. Then you feel comfortable."
Washington winner and fifth seed Taylor Fritz fired eight aces in defeating Daniel Merida 6-3 6-4 in 83 minutes. The Spaniard made 25 unforced errors as Fritz booked a fourth-round match against Australian Chris O'Connell, who is 0-3 against the American.
- 'I played amazing' -
Last week's Montreal finalist Brandon Nakashima came from the brink to upset fourth seed Daniil Medvedev 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/4), 6-1.
Nakashima led 5-2 in the first set before falling in the tie-breaker, then saved three match points in the 10th game of the second set on the way to forcing a third, which he dominated.
Italian 10th seed Lorenzo Musetti defeated American Michael Zheng 6-1, 6-3 in 71 minutes.
The 47th-ranked Borges ended a five-match loss streak in the rivalry while Rublev will drop from the ranking top 20 for the first time since January 2020.
"I played amazing," Borges said. "It means a lot to be in the fourth round. It's a big moment for me."
SKorean Footballers Report Heat-related Symptoms, Call for Stronger Safeguardshttps://english.aawsat.com/sports/5308650-skorean-footballers-report-heat-related-symptoms-call-stronger-safeguards
Rain falls on a dried-up reservoir in drought-hit Miryang, about 280 kilometers southeast of Seoul, South Korea, 16 August 2026. EPA/YONHAP SOUTH KOREA OUT
SKorean Footballers Report Heat-related Symptoms, Call for Stronger Safeguards
Rain falls on a dried-up reservoir in drought-hit Miryang, about 280 kilometers southeast of Seoul, South Korea, 16 August 2026. EPA/YONHAP SOUTH KOREA OUT
South Korean professional footballers urged stronger protections against extreme heat after a survey by the Korea Pro-Footballers Association showed many players hit by dehydration, dizziness and temporary lapses in consciousness during competition.
It found 86.2% of respondents suffered significant physical strain while playing in the heat, among 536 players from the K League and WK League surveyed during a summer when pitch temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees F).
Nearly two-thirds (64.7%) complained of dizziness during matches or training, while 56.6% had severe dehydration, with 13% having lapses in consciousness.
"The fact that over 70 players experienced dizziness, dehydration, and even temporary loss of consciousness is a glaring red flag," KPFA President Lee Keun-ho, a former national team player, Reuters quoted it as saying in a statement.
The union called on the Korea Football Association (KFA), K League and WK League to introduce mandatory heat protocols, saying the current safeguards do not sufficiently protect players.
Almost half the respondents said they were dissatisfied with the current cooling-break system that usually gives players a break of just over three minutes once temperatures reach a specified threshold.
Nearly 90% supported changes to existing match operations during extreme heat. More than half favored later kick-off times, while others backed postponing or cancelling matches when heat advisories are in effect.
The union said women players often face additional challenges, with some matches scheduled during the hottest part of the day on artificial surfaces and at venues without adequate air-conditioned changing facilities.
"Playing under the scorching sun on artificial turf that traps and radiates heat is essentially forcing athletes into a furnace," KPFA Women's President Ji So-yun said.
"Just as professional baseball proactively cancels games for the heat, football needs to stop mechanically following a rigid schedule and actually prioritize player health and safety."
The KPFA said the findings should also prompt a broader discussion on South Korea's football calendar, with some players supporting a switch to an autumn-spring schedule.
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