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Coachless Rennes Stuns Ligue 1 Leader PSG and Ends Winless Run

Rennes' Jordanian forward #11 Mousa Tamari (R) celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the French L1 football match between Stade Rennais FC and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Roazhon Park stadium in Rennes, western France, on February 13, 2026. (Photo by Damien MEYER / AFP)
Rennes' Jordanian forward #11 Mousa Tamari (R) celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the French L1 football match between Stade Rennais FC and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Roazhon Park stadium in Rennes, western France, on February 13, 2026. (Photo by Damien MEYER / AFP)
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Coachless Rennes Stuns Ligue 1 Leader PSG and Ends Winless Run

Rennes' Jordanian forward #11 Mousa Tamari (R) celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the French L1 football match between Stade Rennais FC and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Roazhon Park stadium in Rennes, western France, on February 13, 2026. (Photo by Damien MEYER / AFP)
Rennes' Jordanian forward #11 Mousa Tamari (R) celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the French L1 football match between Stade Rennais FC and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Roazhon Park stadium in Rennes, western France, on February 13, 2026. (Photo by Damien MEYER / AFP)

Coachless Rennes stunned Ligue 1 leader Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 at home and snapped a five-game winless run on Friday.

The home side fired coach Habib Beye on Monday after its early season gains looked to be slipping away, and it was a firm underdog against PSG, which came to Brittany after winning all seven of its last league fixtures.

But Rennes hit the post early on and it got a reward for its confident start after 33 minutes. Jordanian midfielder Mousa Al-Tamari charged forward on the counterattack and found enough space between two defenders on the edge of the penalty area to curl in a superb opener, The Associated Press reported.

PSG came into the game but was hesitant in front of goal and Esteban Lepaul doubled Rennes' lead midway through the second half. The prolific center forward rose highest to bullet a header past Matvey Safonov for his 11th goal of the season.

Former Rennes player Ousmane Dembélé pulled one back for PSG two minutes later but Breel Embolo restored Rennes' two-goal cushion in the 81st when he finished off another counterattack.

PSG remained atop the table but second-placed Lens can take over if it beats Paris FC on Saturday.

Rennes moved above Lille into fifth place.

Monaco beats Nantes

Monaco overcame lowly Nantes 3-1 for its fourth league game without defeat.

Monaco rose three places to seventh after a horrendous run of seven losses in eight league games from the start of December to mid-January.

Ivory Coast winger Adingra scored in the 25th and 28th minutes and Denis Zakaria added a third after half an hour — his first goal of the season — to put Monaco in the driver's seat.

Fabien Centonze pulled a goal back on the stroke of halftime for Nantes.

Although Aleksandr Golovin’s dismissal after 65 minutes gave Nantes a man advantage for most of the second half it could not muster a fightback.

Nantes was second from bottom of Ligue 1, equal on points with third-from-bottom Auxerre.

With a third of the season remaining, the gap between the bottom three and the teams above them was an intimidating eight points.

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Pegula Outlasts Navarro to Set US Open Semi with Sabalenka

Jessica Pegula is through to the US Open semi-finals after a victory over fellow American Emma Navarro. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP
Jessica Pegula is through to the US Open semi-finals after a victory over fellow American Emma Navarro. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP
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Pegula Outlasts Navarro to Set US Open Semi with Sabalenka

Jessica Pegula is through to the US Open semi-finals after a victory over fellow American Emma Navarro. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP
Jessica Pegula is through to the US Open semi-finals after a victory over fellow American Emma Navarro. CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP

Jessica Pegula booked a third straight US Open showdown with Aryna Sabalenka, grinding out a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Emma Navarro on Tuesday to set a semi-final clash with the two-time defending champion.

Sabalenka beat Pegula in the 2024 final in Flushing Meadows and beat her again in the semis last year on the way to a second crown. AFP said.

Third-seeded Pegula needed two hours and 20 minutes to get past Navarro, recovering an early break in the third set of a tense baseline battle on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

"It was really tough," Pegula said after a match featuring nine breaks of serve. "It was physical, humid. I wasn't exactly serving my best and I was fighting a lot of demons out there today."

Pegula improved to 5-0 against Navarro, a former world number eight who is on the rise after an extended break to focus on health issues, winning her first title in more than a year at Strasbourg in May.

Pegula, who has won two titles this year, is among the trio of players who arrived at Flushing Meadows with a chance to supplant Sabalenka atop the world rankings in New York.

The 32-year-old would have to go all the way to a first major title to have a shot at claiming the top spot.

But the number one issue could be moot by the time Pegula and Sabalenka square off on Thursday.

Second-ranked Elena Rybakina can seize the top spot regardless of other results with a win over China's Zheng Qinwen in their quarter-final on Wednesday.

Sports

Australian World Cup Star Volpato Fined over Positive Cocaine Test

Volpato was reported in July to have allegedly tested positive for cocaine after he was pulled over for speeding in Sydney. Aric Becker / AFP/File
Volpato was reported in July to have allegedly tested positive for cocaine after he was pulled over for speeding in Sydney. Aric Becker / AFP/File
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Australian World Cup Star Volpato Fined over Positive Cocaine Test

Volpato was reported in July to have allegedly tested positive for cocaine after he was pulled over for speeding in Sydney. Aric Becker / AFP/File
Volpato was reported in July to have allegedly tested positive for cocaine after he was pulled over for speeding in Sydney. Aric Becker / AFP/File

Australian World Cup star Cristian Volpato has been fined after failing a roadside test for cocaine, police and media reports said Wednesday.

Volpato was reported in July to have allegedly tested positive for cocaine after he was pulled over for speeding in Sydney, said AFP.

New South Wales police said on Wednesday that a second sample taken at the time had also tested positive.

They said a 22-year-old man -- widely identified as Italy-based Volpato by local media -- was fined Aus$722 (US$522).

His driving license has also been suspended since July.

Volpato, an attacking midfielder for Serie A side Sassuolo, made three appearances at the World Cup after switching his international allegiance from Italy to Australia shortly before the tournament.

He was born and raised in Sydney before moving overseas and represented Italy at various youth levels.

Sports

'Our Year': Kane and Bayern Primed for Champions League Tilt

Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane celebrates after scoring in the German Cup. INA FASSBENDER / AFP/File
Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane celebrates after scoring in the German Cup. INA FASSBENDER / AFP/File
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'Our Year': Kane and Bayern Primed for Champions League Tilt

Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane celebrates after scoring in the German Cup. INA FASSBENDER / AFP/File
Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane celebrates after scoring in the German Cup. INA FASSBENDER / AFP/File

Bayern Munich have made it clear their main goal this season is to win the Champions League after recent near-misses, with Harry Kane saying "it has to be our year".

Bayern fell agonizingly short against eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain in a wild semi-final last campaign.

PSG won a manic first leg 5-4 and then frustrated Bayern in a 1-1 draw in the second in Munich to advance to the final, where they beat Arsenal on penalties to win a second straight title.

Bayern start their latest tilt at a seventh European Cup at home against Norwegians Bodo/Glimt on Thursday.

Those around the club, such as former midfielder and 2013 winner Bastian Schweinsteiger, believe only a lack of squad depth in what will be another punishing season could derail Bayern's hopes of winning the trophy for the first time since 2020.

Coach Vincent Kompany has made the Champions League the team's target, alongside Bayern's almost default domestic dominance.

"The goals with Bayern are always the highest: winning the Bundesliga, winning the Pokal (German Cup), winning the Champions League -- and maybe even winning every game," Kompany told the club magazine in August.

Bayern have twice made the Champions League semi-finals in Kane's three years at the club, but no further.

Bayern were within touching distance of the final in 2023-24, but became the latest victims of a smash and grab from a title-bound Real Madrid.

Kane was substituted with Bayern holding a one-goal lead with six minutes remaining in the second leg, only for the Spanish giants to score twice in the space of three minutes to turn the tie on its head.

"Yes, we're really close," Kane told TNT Sports on Monday of Bayern's chances this season.

"I think last year was the finest of margins -- to go out to a team who has won the Champions League back-to-back. There's no shame in that.

"We're coming into this season now saying that it needs to be our year. We need to find a way to get it done."

- 'Luck at the right moment' -

The England captain has been part of plenty of near-misses in his career for club and country.

Long derided for a lack of team trophies, Kane has five since arriving at Bayern -- including two Bundesligas and a German Cup -- and said he now knows what it takes to win.

"It is not just about being the best team. Sometimes you also need a bit of luck at the right moment," Kane said.

Fortune with injuries could define Bayern's season.

Bayern made two major additions in the summer, opting for depth and versatility in what will be a punishing campaign.

In came Ismael Saibari, who can play anywhere across the forward line, along with Germany's Nathaniel Brown, who has been shifted between left-back and midfield this season.

Schweinsteiger said Bayern "will dominate the Bundesliga" but depth may still be a concern, particularly with the uncertainty around Jamal Musiala.

After collapsing in pre-season games, Musiala revealed he is suffering from a neurological disorder which can lead to seizures, but he was able to return without incident in Saturday's scoreless draw at Schalke.

"We have to see. There are some suggestions they may still be one or two players short," Schweinsteiger told AFP.

"The situation with Jamal Musiala is difficult, so it will be interesting how Bayern Munich manage it, because over the course of a season you need strong options from the bench.

"When I think back to the matches against PSG, their options from the bench made a difference in the second leg.

"Luis Enrique made excellent tactical adjustments in the second half of the match in Munich to win and progress.

"In matches like those, Bayern Munich may need to adapt their style of play, because PSG's attacking players, and indeed the team as a whole, pose a different challenge from those Bayern Munich usually face in the Bundesliga."