Zheng Qinwen, big guns fall in Qatar; Real Madrid beat Man City in Champions League battle

Real Madrid edged a thrilling Champions League play-off first leg 3-2 against Manchester City, with Jude Bellingham scoring a last-minute winner at the Etihad. This was the fifth meeting in the past six seasons between the two sides generally considered the best in Europe over that period. But this season was different. Forced to compete in a play-off because they failed to finish in the Uefa Champions League top eight, it has been a complicated season for both. City have a fight just to re-enter the competition next season while, for La Liga leaders Real Madrid, this was their first victory over a so-called elite side this campaign. Erling Haaland opened the scoring inside 20 minutes before Kylian Mbappe equalised on the hour mark. The home side’s No 9 then sparked a furious final 10 minutes as he reasserted his side’s lead from the spot only for former City midfielder Brahim Diaz to equalise again on 86 minutes and Bellingham to win it in stoppage time. In each of the past three seasons, whoever has won this fixture went on to win the competition – but you would be hard-pressed to think you had seen the European champions in action on Tuesday night. UCL round-up Ousmane Dembele continued his incredible recent form with two goals as Paris Saint-Germain took a commanding 3-0 lead away from home in their all-French tie with Brest. The France forward has now scored in each of his last 10 matches, notching an impressive 18 goals over that period. Juventus’ tie with PSV Eindhoven is hanging in the balance as the Italians take a narrow 2-1 lead to the Netherlands. It is the second meeting of the two sides in this season’s competition, after the Bianconeri won 3-1 at the Allianz Stadium on matchday one. Meanwhile, Sporting CP, who under former manager Ruben Amorim beat City 4-1 earlier in the competition, face a tall order to avoid elimination after they fell to a 3-0 loss at home to last season’s finalists, Borussia Dortmund. Not quite Champions League – though next season, who knows? – but it is worth a mention: Nottingham Forest overcame 10-man Exeter City in a penalty shoot-out in their FA Cup fourth-round tie. Big guns tumble View this post on Instagram A post shared by Women’s Tennis Association (@wta) China’s Zheng Qinwen was among a host of big-name female tennis players eliminated in the last 32 at the Qatar Open. The 22-year-old was beaten 6-4, 6-2 by three-time grand slam finalist Ons Jabeur. Elsewhere, world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No 3 Coco Gauff both exited the competition. Ekaterina Alexandrova beat Sabalenka 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 in a thrilling match-up, which saw the Belarusian in action for the first time since her Australian Open final defeat by Madison Keys. Gauff, meanwhile, lost 6-2, 7-5 to Marta Kostyuk in Doha. On the move The New Orleans Saints hired Kellen Moore as head coach, two days after he helped guide the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl victory as offensive coordinator. The Saints announced the move as the echoes of celebrations reverberated around New Orleans from Sunday’s 40-22 Eagles’ victory over Kansas City in the NFL championship spectacle. “At the start of the interview process, it was important to find a head coach who was the right fit for the New Orleans Saints,” team owner Gayle Benson said in a statement. “Through the search process, it became clear that Kellen is the right person to help us re-establish a winning programme and culture that our fans are accustomed to and have come to expect.” Tall order Ukrainian centre Alex Len has signed a free agent deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, after an earlier trade for Mark Williams fell through. Len, a 31-year-old seven-footer (2.13 metres) in his 12th NBA campaign, joined the Lakers, his sixth NBA club, only three days after being released by Washington. The Lakers had swung a deal with the Charlotte Hornets for US seven-footer Williams at last week’s NBA trade deadline, but the big man reportedly failed a physical and the trade was rescinded. That left the Lakers needing a big man to play alongside superstars Luka Doncic and LeBron James after the departure of Anthony Davis in a deal with Dallas that sent Slovenian guard Doncic to Los Angeles. The answer came in Len, who reportedly was near signing with the Indiana Pacers before the Lakers opportunity arrived.

Zheng Qinwen, big guns fall in Qatar; Real Madrid beat Man City in Champions League battle

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Jude Bellingham’s stoppage-time winner gives holders the edge, while China’s No 1 beaten in straight sets

Jude Bellingham’s stoppage-time winner gives holders the edge, while China’s No 1 beaten in straight sets