Category: Sport

Cristiano Ronaldo has been suspended for five games after he was sent off in Real Madrid’s 3-1 win against Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup first leg on Sunday. He was given a one-match ban for being shown two yellow cards and a further four for pushing the referee in the back after he had been sent off. The bookings at the Nou Camp were for taking off his shirt to celebrate his goal to make it 2-1 and for a dive. He will miss Wednesday’s second leg. Ronaldo, 32,…

Champions Chelsea suffered a nightmare start to their Premier League title defence, having two men sent off as Burnley claimed a superb win at Stamford Bridge. It would be easy but misleading to lay the blame for the Blues’ defeat on the decision to show a red card to new club captain Gary Cahill for a lunging tackle on Steven Defour midway through the first half. But that would deprive Burnley their due for a disciplined, energetic and ruthless first-half display that saw them score three times, with Sam Vokes…

Roger Federer extended his winning streak to 15 matches as he beat Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut to reach the Rogers Cup semi-finals in Montreal. The 36-year-old Swiss won 6-4 6-4 in 68 minutes to set up a meeting with unseeded Dutchman Robin Haase. Federer is aiming for the third Rogers Cup win of his career and sixth title of a remarkable 2017 season. Canada’s Denis Shapovalov plays Alexander Zverev of Germany in the other semi-final. Federer secured the decisive first break at 4-4 in the opening set, then got the…

Conor McGregor says Floyd Mayweather is “scared” in the build-up to their multi-million dollar fight on 26 August in Las Vegas. Mayweather, 40, said on Thursday that the bout “won’t go the distance”. Speaking at a media workout on Friday, McGregor, 29, said: “You know what I heard him say yesterday? Nothing. I saw a man scared… I saw a man trying to talk himself out of it. “I’m preparing to win, and to win in devastating fashion.” UFC lightweight champion McGregor, who has never boxed professionally, is due to…

Substitute Olivier Giroud headed in a dramatic late winner as Arsenal fought back to beat Leicester City in a thrilling start to the 2017-18 Premier League season. Alexandre Lacazette headed the Gunners ahead 94 seconds into his top-flight debut, Shinji Okazaki nodding in the equaliser just two minutes later. Vardy slid the visitors ahead from Marc Albrighton’s cross, only for Danny Welbeck to stroke level on half-time. Leicester took the lead again when Vardy headed in Riyad Mahrez’s corner before Arsene Wenger made an inspired double substitution which sparked Arsenal’s…

Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho has submitted a transfer request, hours after the Premier League club released a statement saying he is not for sale. Coutinho stated his desire to leave via email. The club rejected the request. On Wednesday, the Reds rejected a 100 million euros bid (£90m) from Barcelona for the 25-year-old, who is out of Saturday’s trip to Watford with injury. In a statement on Friday, the club’s owners said its “definitive stance” was that “no offers will be considered”. Speaking at an earlier news conference previewing the…

Floyd Mayweather says his fight with Conor McGregor in Las Vegas on 26 August “won’t go the distance”. Mayweather, 40, has won all 49 of his professional bouts, but has not boxed since September 2015 and came out of retirement to fight the Irishman. The 29-year-old mixed martial arts fighter has not boxed professionally. “He’s looking forward to ending the fight early, I’m looking forward to ending the fight early – it won’t go the distance,” said Mayweather. The American, whose last fight was a points victory over Andre Berto,…

Botswana will hold a national holiday in honour of Isaac Makwala if he wins 200m gold at the World Championships. Makwala, whose exploits in London have been a major talking point this week, races in the final later on Thursday. On Tuesday he was barred from the 400m final, as officials tried to halt a “very virulent” norovirus outbreak. But he returned and progressed from an individual 200m time trial on Wednesday he was quarantined for Monday’s heats – and celebrated by doing press-ups. The 30-year-old, who said he is…

Liverpool have rejected a bid of 100 million euros (£90m) from Barcelona for Brazil playmaker Philippe Coutinho. Barca’s second bid for the 25-year-old, which was rejected immediately, comprised an initial 85m euros (£76.8m) plus 15m euros (£13.5m) in add-ons. Liverpool have reiterated that Coutinho – who joined them from Inter Milan for £8.5m in 2013 – is not for sale. Barcelona sold Brazil forward Neymar to Paris St-Germain for a world record transfer of £200m last week. Coutinho who scored 14 goals last term and spent six weeks out with…