Spain ended their 44-year wait for a major international title with a 1-0 victory over Germany at the Euro 2008 final in Vienna on Sunday.
Italian seven-time former world champion Valentino Rossi, riding a Yamaha, won his home grand prix at Mugello for the seventh time in a row on Sunday. Australian reigning world champion Casey Stoner took second place with Spaniard Dani Pedrosa in third.
The first time a player takes to the field in a Champions League final is always a special moment in his career, but for Paul Scholes there will be extra significance on Wednesday in Moscow. The Manchester United midfielder has had to wait longer than most and, even more poignantly, this opportunity has come nine years after it should have done.
Chelsea may be playing their first Champions League final and Manchester United appearing in the showpiece event only after a nine-year absence, but there will be no shortage of experience when the two sides line up at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on Wednesday.
Inter Milan’s ill discipline cost them again as Liverpool won 1-0 at the San Siro on Tuesday to progress to the Champions League quarterfinals 3-0 on aggregate. Nicolas Burdisso was sent off just five minutes into the second half of the second-round, second-leg tie to scupper the Italian champions’ hopes of reaching the next round.
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/ 11 February 2008
Italy’s South African coach Nick Mallett said he was frustrated by his side’s two crucial first-half mistakes that cost them a first-ever victory over England. Italy lost 23-19 at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico in the Six Nations on Sunday in a match where they came as close as ever to beating England in 14 attempts.
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/ 5 December 2007
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan insisted it was the overall result and not the performance that mattered after Celtic sneaked into the Champions League knock-out stages despite a 1-0 defeat at the hands of AC Milan. Veteran forward Filippo Inzaghi scored his 63rd goal in European competition to break the great Gerd Muller’s long-standing record.
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/ 23 October 2007
European giants Barcelona, Manchester United and Arsenal can all take a huge step towards qualifying for the Champions League knockout phase if they win their respective matches on Tuesday. All three have a perfect six points from their first two matches and another victory will leave them virtually assured of progression.
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/ 25 September 2007
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Japan scored a last-gasp converted try to earn a dramatic 12-12 draw against Canada in their final World Cup pool-B match in Bordeaux on Tuesday. Substitute Koji Taira crossed in the right-hand corner after sustained late Japanese pressure and then Shotaro Onishi held his nerve to slot over the conversion.
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/ 15 September 2007
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Ireland barely withstood a late onslaught to scramble over the line against a dogged Georgia by 14-10 on Saturday. Despite fielding a second-string side, Georgia stayed with their lauded opponents all the way and never tired in the second half as they did in their 33-3 defeat to Argentina in midweek.