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Promoted Hamburg brace for tough return to Bayern Munich

MUNICH: Once a Bundesliga highlight, Bayern Munich’s first home game against promoted Hamburg SV in seven years lacks the top billing of the past but still holds promise for lots of goals — at least for the home side. Long before the six-time German champions were relegated to the second division for the first time in their history in 2018, Hamburg had become Bayern’s punching bag in Munich, conceding a total of 50 goals in their last eight trips to Allianz Arena. The wave of exhilaration that accompanied Hamburg’s return to the top division has subsided after two Bundesliga games, with the former European champions drawing one and losing the other. They have yet to score or create a single scoring chance in either of the two matches so far, according to Bundesliga statistics. Losing the Hamburg derby to visitors St. Pauli just before the international break dampened spirits further but despite their rough return to the Bundesliga, coach Merlin Polzin said his team were looking forward to Saturday. “We’re incredibly excited about this match,” he added.

Veteran Mexico goalkeeper Ochoa joins Cyprus’ Limassol

MEXICO CITY: Veteran Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa on Thursday signed for Cypriot club AEL Limassol in a bid to prove his fitness to go to a sixth World Cup next year. The 40-year-old played for AVS in the Portuguese topflight last season, helping the club avoid relegation.

FIFA U-turn allows Athletic Bilbao to sign Laporte

BILBAO: Athletic Bilbao will sign Aymeric Laporte after world football governing body FIFA changed their stance on Thursday. The Basque side tried to bring in the Spanish defender from Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr on Sept. 1 but the move was not completed before the transfer deadline. FIFA last week rejected a request from the Spanish football federation (RFEF) to make an exception for Laporte’s move, but Athletic said the RFEF request has now been granted after they sought to overturn the decision.

Defending Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon take perfect records into 4th round

PARIS: Defending champion Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon are the only sides to have won all their games heading into the fourth round of matches in Ligue 1. Not many observers would have expected Lyon to start this well, having avoided relegation to the second tier for financial irregularities after a successful appeal and being obliged to sell key players to balance the books. Veteran striker Olivier Giroud’s Lille side is the only other unbeaten side so far.

Al-Ittihad sign Serbian defender Jan-Carlo Simic on 4-year deal

JEDDAH: Al-Ittihad has confirmed the signing of Serbian defender Jan-Carlo Simic from Belgian side Anderlecht on a four-year contract.

Dortmund defender Schlotterbeck needs more time until comeback, says Kovac

BERLIN: Borussia Dortmund and Germany defender Nico Schlotterbeck will need more time before he makes his comeback from a knee injury, coach Niko Kovac said on Thursday. Schlotterbeck underwent surgery five months ago for a meniscus tear in his left knee that he sustained in April and despite having come back to light team training in recent days, he is still not yet ready for a comeback. Schlotterbeck’s services were also badly missed in Germany’s two World Cup qualifiers in the international break, with the national team suffering a shock 2-0 loss to Slovakia before beating Northern Ireland 3-1. “Nico has come back after five months and has been doing some light training without contact,” Kovac told a press conference. “He is a key player, a top national team player. “Before we even consider the national team, he has to be healthy for the club and have playing minutes in training, in Bundesliga and Champions League matches,” he said. “It will take more time.

Miami’s Suarez at center of spitting incident after Leagues Cup loss

LOS ANGELES, United States: Luis Suarez appeared to spit at a staff member of the opposing team during an ugly brawl following Inter Miami’s 3-0 loss to the Seattle Sounders in the Leagues Cup final on Sunday. Immediately after the final whistle at Lumen Field, veteran Uruguay striker Suarez rushed at 20-year-old Sounders midfielder Obed Vargas and put him in a headlock, sparking a melee involving multiple players and staff from both sides. Officials scrambled to restore order, but cameras caught Suarez appearing to spit at a Seattle coach as he walked away from Vargas. Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said afterwards he was too far away to comment on any specific incidents. “Nobody likes these kinds of actions at the end of a match, but if there’s a reaction, maybe there was provocation,” he said. Certainly there were multiple scuffles before the trophy ceremony finally got under way, with both teams still in attendance. Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer took the high road, preferring to focus on the strong collective effort from his team in a victory over a Miami side led by Argentine superstar Lionel Messi. “Unfortunately that is going to take some of the attention away from a great performance by the Seattle Sounders,” Schmetzer said of the brawl. “I guess we can take that as a compliment that Miami’s frustrations led to some things happening on the field that shouldn’t happen on the field. “I’m going to shut that down because that shouldn’t be the story,” said Schmetzer, who added he had a “quiet moment” with Messi on the field after the game. But Suarez will be under scrutiny for his role. The 38-year-old’s reputation as one of the game’s arch villians was cemented when he bit Giorgio Chiellini during the 2014

Saudi Olympic rider Al-Sharbatly and Quisandro top Gijón international horse show

GIJÓN, Spain: Saudi Olympic rider Abdullah Al-Sharbatly and his horse Quisandro have won first place at the €28,300 Caser Group Helvetia Grand Prix CSI 2 with a timing of 36.74 seconds.

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Borussia Dortmund Sport News

Promoted Hamburg brace for tough return to Bayern Munich

Veteran Mexico goalkeeper Ochoa joins Cyprus’ Limassol

FIFA U-turn allows Athletic Bilbao to sign Laporte

Defending Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon take perfect records into 4th round

Al-Ittihad sign Serbian defender Jan-Carlo Simic on 4-year deal

Dortmund defender Schlotterbeck needs more time until comeback, says Kovac

Miami’s Suarez at center of spitting incident after Leagues Cup loss

Saudi Olympic rider Al-Sharbatly and Quisandro top Gijón international horse show