SPORTS

Madrid, Spain | AFP | Atletico Madrid might once have relished the challenge of resisting an opponent like Liverpool, but reaching the Champions League’s quarter-finals will require a performance not yet seen from them this season. Diego Simeone’s side are no longer the same Atletico famed for their inch-perfect defence, relentless …

Monaco, Principality of Monaco | THE INDEPENDENT & AFP | With an opening kilometer timed at 2:31, Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei on Sunday set the blistering pace that he needed to shatter the 5km world record in Monaco. The 23-year-old Ugandan followed it up with times of 2:35, 2:36, and 2:35—for the next …

Dortmund, Germany | AFP |  Packed with passionate home fans, Borussia Dortmund’s imposing south stand – dubbed ‘The Yellow Wall’ – is the ‘gigantic monster’ lurking to test Paris Saint-Germain stars like Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in the Champions League on Tuesday. “It’s just a fantastic feeling that I haven’t had …

  Monaco, Principality of Monaco | AFP |  Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei lowered the 5km world record on Sunday with a time of 12 minutes 51 seconds. The 10,000m world champion made the most of perfect conditions in the second edition of this race to improve on Kenyan Rhonex Kipruto’s previous …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  European football’s financial fair play rules risk being “scuppered” if Manchester City overturn their two-season ban from continental competition, according to a soccer analyst. UEFA announced the punishment on Friday and also imposed a fine of 30 million euros ($32 million, £25 million) on the …

London, UK | LIVERPOOLFC.COM  | Sadio Mane refused to stray from Liverpool’s ‘one game at a time’ mentality after his strike off the bench against Norwich City sent his side 25 points clear. On his first appearance since suffering an injury at Wolverhampton Wanderers three weeks ago, Mane thumped a …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Jurgen Klopp described his team’s 25-point lead at the top of the Premier League as “insane” after Sadio Mane struck to give Liverpool a 1-0 win at storm-hit Norwich on Saturday. The champions-elect were short of their fluent best in blustery conditions caused by …

Nyon, Switzerland | AFP | Manchester City have been banned from European competitions for the next two seasons for “serious financial fair-play breaches”, UEFA announced on Friday, with the verdict immediately contested by Pep Guardiola’s English champions. City, who were also fined 30 million euros ($32.5 million), announced they were …

Paris, France | AFP | While Neymar has been partying with an injured rib, and Kylian Mbappe has been making no attempt to hide his displeasure with his coach, Paris Saint-Germain supporters could be forgiven for having that sinking feeling. This has been the time of year when the French club’s …

Madrid, Spain | AFP | Barcelona and Real Madrid both crashed out of the Copa del Rey on Thursday night as Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad pulled off a shock Basque double to reach the semi-finals. Barca were beaten 1-0 by Bilbao at San Mames, where Inaki Williams scored a dramatic …