SOCCER

France ended Portugal’s defense of its Nations League title, winning 1-0 Saturday in Lisbon, Portugal, to clinch a berth in the semifinals by winning its group.

N’Golo Kanté scored in the 54th minute after the midfielder joined the attack, taking advantage of a loose ball that fell to him when goalkeeper Rui Patricio fumbled a save.

France has three more points than Portugal and the tiebreaker on head-to-head goals with one game to play. Portugal won last year’s inaugural Nations League.

• Timo Werner scored twice to help Germany beat coronavirus-weakened Ukraine, 3-1, in Leipzig, Germany.

The game was in doubt after four Ukraine players tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday.

• Sergio Ramos had two penalty kicks saved in his European record 177th game for Spain before a late goal by Gerard Moreno earned a 1-1 draw at Switzerland.

Spain dropped to second place in its group, one point behind Germany.

SALAH SIDELINED: Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah has mild symptoms after testing positive for the coronavirus and is due to spend at least the next week self-isolating in Egypt, the national team doctor said.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Mohamed Abou Elela said Salah’s attendance at his brother’s wedding might have contributed to him contracting COVID-19, but he cannot be certain.

Salah’s positive tests were returned Friday on the eve of Egypt’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Togo. He’ll miss Liverpool’s first game after the international break against Leicester next Sunday.

AUTO RACING

FORMULA ONE: Lance Stroll took the first pole position of his career at a rain-soaked and chaotic qualifying session for the Turkish Grand Prix in Istanbul.

The Canadian driver placed .3 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and 1.56 ahead of Sergio Perez, who is Stroll’s teammate at Racing Point.

Runaway championship leader Lewis Hamilton was sixth.

COLLEGES

MEN’S HOCKEY: Alaska Anchorage will not field a team this season, likely ending the Seawolves’ status as an NCAA Division I program.

Alaska Anchorage notified the Western Collegiate Hockey Association that it is opting out of this season, part of the university’s decision to halt all indoor winter sports because of health risks and protocol restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alaska Anchorage announced earlier this year it plans to drop its men’s hockey, men’s and women’s skiing and women’s gymnastics to save money.

TENNIS

SOFIA OPEN: Italian player Jannik Sinner earned his first ATP title, beating Vasek Pospisil 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (3) in Sofia, Bulgaria.

At 19, Sinner became the youngest man to capture an ATP title since Kei Nishikori won as an 18-year-old in 2008. Sinner is the youngest player in the top 100, and will crack the top 40 for the first time in the rankings update on Monday.

UPPER AUSTRIA LADIES LINZ: Top seeds Aryna Sabalenka and Elise Mertens earned three-set wins to advance to the final of the season-ending tournament in Linz, Austria.

Sabalenka outlasted Barbora Krejcikova, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, and Mertens rallied to defeat Ekaterina Alexandrova, 2-6, 6-1, 7-5.

BASKETBALL

NBA: Hall of Famer Maurice Cheeks is returning to his hometown to serve as an assistant under Billy Donovan, the Chicago Bulls announced.

Cheeks was on Donovan’s staff in Oklahoma City the past five seasons. The Bulls hired Donovan in September to replace the fired Jim Boylen.

Copy the Story Link

Comments are not available on this story.