■ECUADOR
Liga storm into final
Claudio Bieler scored a hat-trick as Ecuadorean club Liga de Quito stormed into the final of the Copa Sudamericana with a resounding 7-0 win over River Plate of Uruguay on Thursday. Carlos Espinola, Miller Bolanos, Edison Mendez and Ulises De La Cruz also scored. Liga will play Brazilian club Fluminense in the two-legged final scheduled for Nov. 25 and Dec. 2. Liga’s 7-0 win at home against River overturned the 2-1 loss suffered by the Ecuadorean club in the first leg in Montevideo a week ago. Bieler opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 18th minute after Neicer Reasco was brought down in the box. Espinola headed Edison Mendez’s corner past the dive of River goalkeeper Luciano Dos Santos in the 28th minute to put Liga ahead on aggregate. River fell further behind in first-half stoppage-time when Bieler’s looping cross was headed back across goal by Walter Calderon for an unmarked Bolanos to smash into the roof of the net. Mendez scored Liga’s fourth with a clean strike from outside the box in the 57th minute and De La Cruz added a fifth in the 78th minute. Bieler completed his hat-trick with goals in the 84th and 89th minutes.
■FRANCE
Boli defends himself
Former France international defender Basile Boli, under investigation by prosecutors for embezzlement and handling stolen goods, said on Thursday that he had been “unfairly accused.” In a statement, the former Marseille centerback said he left the Brigade for the Repression of Economic Crime on Wednesday afternoon after being questioned over the activities of the Undertaking and Succeeding in Africa (ERA) foundation that he set up. “I only regret that the news of my being taken into custody was made public,” Boli said. “Believing myself to be unfairly accused, I try to think of my attachment and my devotion to the African continent. I am more than ever convinced of ERA’s mission — bringing France and Africa together with a view to the co-development of these two cultures. It’s why I will continue to bring my modest contribution to this mission that is so close to my heart.” A judicial source revealed that “the investigation” would “be pursued.”
■GERMANY
Senior figures pan van Gaal
Louis van Gaal’s future as Bayern Munich coach appeared shakier than ever after senior figures at the club criticized him before the game against Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen. In a joint interview published on Thursday in the Bild newspaper, Bayern president Franz Beckenbauer and general manager Uli Hoeness both gave the Dutch coach some blunt advice. “Louis van Gaal thinks he can take care of everything himself, but one single person can’t solve everything,” Hoeness said. “He has to learn to delegate responsibility,” Beckenbauer said. Van Gaal’s team are all but out of the Champions League and six points behind Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.
■SPAIN
Ibrahimovic ruled out
Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be out of action for around a week, the European champions announced on Thursday. The Swedish striker has aggravated the muscle injury in his left thigh which he suffered two weeks ago against Real Mallorca. He limped out of training on Wednesday and underwent medical checks on Thursday. Ibrahimovic will miss today’s league game away to Athletic Bilbao and probably also Tuesday’s crucial Champions League game at home to Italy’s Inter. He may also miss the Spanish clasico against Real Madrid on Nov. 29.
SIBLING RIVALRY: Marc Marquez was locked in a duel with his little brother, falling behind at one point before recovering for his first season-opening victory since 2014 Six-time world champion Marc Marquez yesterday won the MotoGP season-opening Thailand Grand Prix to complete a dominant debut weekend at his new Ducati Lenovo Team, having also romped to Saturday’s sprint. The Spanish great took the 26-lap grand prix by 1.732 seconds for his 63rd MotoGP victory from younger brother Alex Marquez, who is still seeking a first checkered flag, with Francesco Bagnaia third to complete an all-Ducati podium. It completed a perfect weekend for Marc Marquez, who took pole position, the sprint victory and the grand prix win for a maximum 37 points to open the 22-leg 2025 campaign. He led from
AC Milan’s slender hopes of reaching next season’s UEFA Champions League took another hit on Thursday with a 2-1 defeat at Bologna which left them eight points from Serie A’s top four. Sergio Conceicao’s team sit eighth, some way behind fourth-placed Juventus after losing an entertaining contest at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, a match which was rescheduled from October last year due to torrential rain and flooding. Swathes of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy, much of which is fertile agricultural land, had been left under water following a massive autumn downpour. Dan Ndoye prodded home the decisive goal in the 82nd minute
VALUABLE POINT: Relegation-threatened Valencia snatched a thrilling 3-3 draw at CA Osasuna thanks to a remarkable backheel volley by Umar Sadiq Barcelona on Sunday secured a comfortable 4-0 win over Real Sociedad to move back top of La Liga. Aritz Elustondo’s early red card gave Hansi Flick’s side a comfortable afternoon, with Gerard Martin, Marc Casado, Ronald Araujo and Robert Lewandowski on the score sheet. Atletico Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao on Saturday to temporarily knock the Catalans from their perch, while Real Madrid, third, lost at Real Betis Balompie. Flick was able to rotate his side a little ahead of the UEFA Champions League round-of-16 visit to face SL Benfica tomorrow and still move one point above Atletico. “There were a lot of things that
Former Australian motorcycle gang member-turned-golfer Ryan Peake, who served a lengthy jail term for assault, yesterday produced a “life-changing” maiden win to qualify for The Open Championship. Peake held his nerve for a one-stroke victory at the New Zealand Open, earning him a berth at the major in Portrush, Northern Ireland, in July, pending clearance to travel as a convicted criminal. The 31-year-old from Perth celebrated animatedly and was showered with champagne by friends on the 18th green of the Millbrook Resort course near Queenstown after a redemption story rarely seen in the refined sport of golf. Peake held back tears as he