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Leipzig Seal Champions League Berth in Bundesliga

Xaver Schlager of Leipzig in action during the German Bundesliga soccer match between RB Leipzig and FC St. Pauli in Leipzig, Germany, 09 May 2026. EPA/MARTIN DIVISEK
Xaver Schlager of Leipzig in action during the German Bundesliga soccer match between RB Leipzig and FC St. Pauli in Leipzig, Germany, 09 May 2026. EPA/MARTIN DIVISEK
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Leipzig Seal Champions League Berth in Bundesliga

Xaver Schlager of Leipzig in action during the German Bundesliga soccer match between RB Leipzig and FC St. Pauli in Leipzig, Germany, 09 May 2026. EPA/MARTIN DIVISEK
Xaver Schlager of Leipzig in action during the German Bundesliga soccer match between RB Leipzig and FC St. Pauli in Leipzig, Germany, 09 May 2026. EPA/MARTIN DIVISEK

RB Leipzig sealed Champions League qualification with a comfortable 2-1 win over St. Pauli on Saturday on a dramatic day in the Bundesliga's race for Europe.

Goals from Xaver Schlager and Willi Orban saw Leipzig secure third place with a game to spare and plunge St. Pauli deeper into the relegation mire.

"We were under a lot of pressure this season, but we are a great group and we rose to it," Leipzig's captain David Raum said in a speech in front of the fans.

"We have achieved our goal now, so let's all have a drink and party all night long," he added, according to AFP.

The Hamburg side had scored just four goals in their previous eight games, and they were left to rue missed chances yet again in Leipzig.

The visitors squandered several chances on the counter-attack before Schlager hooked the ball in at a corner to give Leipzig the lead just before half time.

Orban doubled the lead with a brilliant header after the break, before Abdoulie Ceesay grabbed a late consolation for the visitors.

Defeat keeps St. Pauli second from bottom, setting up a winner-takes-all clash with fellow strugglers Wolfsburg on the final day of the season next weekend.

"We have to go about the last game like it's a war," St. Pauli's Louis Oppie told DAZN.

While Leipzig are now certain to finish third behind Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, Stuttgart lead the race for the fourth and final Champions League spot after landing a crucial 3-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen.

Stuttgart bounced back after a nightmare start, as Leverkusen took the lead with a smash-and-grab goal after just 34 seconds.

Centre-back Ramon Hendriks lost the ball on the halfway line, providing the visitors with a free run at goal and Aleix Garcia with an easy tap-in.

The hosts levelled the scores just five minutes later, however, Ermedin Demirovic smashing the ball in after a smart passing move in the box.

Demirovic was then tripped in the box on the stroke of half-time and Maximilian Mittelstädt put Stuttgart in front with a cool chipped penalty.

Stuttgart took control after the break, Deniz Undav sealing the win with an artistic finish after Demirovic had a goal ruled out for offside.

The result leaves Leverkusen three points adrift of the Champions League spots in sixth behind Stuttgart and Hoffenheim.

Hoffenheim remain level on points with Stuttgart in fifth after they beat ten-man Werder Bremen 1-0.

Bremen's Yukinari Sugawara was sent off early on for a dangerous challenge on Bazoumana Toure, who scored Hoffenheim's winner 20 minutes later.

Elsewhere, Augsburg kept their hopes of European qualification alive with a 3-1 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach.

A brace for Michael Gregoritsch and a rare goal for defender Robin Fellhauer saw Augsburg take a 3-0 lead before Rocco Reitz pulled one back for Gladbach late in the game.

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Top Seed Sabalenka Knocked Out of Italian Open in 3rd Round

Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka congratulates Romania's Sorana Cirstea after being defeated during the WTA Rome Open tennis tournament at Foro Italico in Rome on May 9, 2026. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)
Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka congratulates Romania's Sorana Cirstea after being defeated during the WTA Rome Open tennis tournament at Foro Italico in Rome on May 9, 2026. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)
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Top Seed Sabalenka Knocked Out of Italian Open in 3rd Round

Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka congratulates Romania's Sorana Cirstea after being defeated during the WTA Rome Open tennis tournament at Foro Italico in Rome on May 9, 2026. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)
Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka congratulates Romania's Sorana Cirstea after being defeated during the WTA Rome Open tennis tournament at Foro Italico in Rome on May 9, 2026. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)

Aryna Sabalenka was dumped out of the Italian Open in the third round by Sorana Cirstea on Saturday, the world number one falling to a 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 defeat in Rome.

Sabalenka is the second star name to be eliminated from the final big tournament before the French Open, with Novak Djokovic being knocked out from the men's event on Friday.

The 28-year-old, who had been the favorite for the women's title in Rome, hadn't been knocked out of a tournament in the round of 32 since the Qatar Open in February last year.

But she failed in her bid for a first tournament victory in the Italian capital, with Cirstea facing Linda Noskova in the next round after claiming the biggest win of her career.

Sabalenka looked set for a quick and clean win on center court after romping to the first set, but errors and grumbling soon began to creep in, in particular on her service game.

Cirstea broke Sabalenka's serve three times on her way to levelling the match and she continued to pose problems heading into the decisive third, AFP reported.

Sabalenka lost her serve for the fifth time after saving three break points to go 3-2 behind in the third set, and two games later she called for a medical time out for a problem with her left hip.

Treatment appeared to get Sabalenka back into the groove once she drew level at 5-5 in the set.

But Cirstea held her nerve to win the next two games, sealing her first ever win over a woman at the top of the world rankings with her first match point.

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.