World Sports News in Brief

Football: Werner bags hat-trick as Leipzig trounce Mainz

Timo Werner bagged a hat-trick as RB Leipzig thrashed Mainz 5-0 on Sunday (May 24) to climb back to third in the Bundesliga and keep their dwindling title hopes just about alive.

Timo Werner bags a hat-trick as RB Leipzig rout Mainz 5-0 behind closed doors on Sunday to climb to third in the German league table. (Reuters)
Timo Werner bags a hat-trick as RB Leipzig rout Mainz 5-0 behind closed doors on Sunday to climb to third in the German league table. (Reuters)

Julian Nagelsmann’s side sit seven points behind leaders Bayern Munich ahead of the reigning champions' top-of-the-table clash against second-placed Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.

* Heiko Herrlich enjoyed a perfect first Bundesliga game on the touchline as Augsburg coach on Sunday (May 24) as his side cruised to a 3-0 win at Schalke, a week after he missed their loss to Wolfsburg after breaking quarantine rules to buy toothpaste.

* La Liga president Javier Tebas said on Sunday (May 24) he hopes the resumed season will start on Jun 11 with the Seville derby, "one game for all of Spain". Tebas confirmed that in the next few days there will be an official announcement concerning the restart date of the championship which was shelved in March because of the coronavirus.

* Spanish media rejoiced on Sunday (May 24) after the government said La Liga could resume, but restarting in June presents many challenges including summer heat, empty stadiums and health rules.

* La Liga chief Javier Tebas said on Sunday that footballers must remember to act responsibly to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus after four Sevilla players broke the Spanish government's rules on social gatherings.

* Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning held off a late challenge to beat Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady 1Up in a charity golf match in Florida on Sunday that raised US$20 million for COVID-19 relief efforts.

* An unnamed Bournemouth player has tested positive for COVID-19, the Premier League club announced on Sunday (May 24), becoming the eighth case involving an English top-flight club. Bournemouth added the player's identity would not be disclosed due to "medical confidentiality" and that he would self-isolate for seven days.

* Italian Giulio Ciccone won the climbers’ event in a virtual cycling competition, the Challenge of Stars, on Sunday (May 24). The Trek Segafredo rider, who had a spell wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey during last year’s Tour de France, beat Belgian Thomas De Gendt in the final, on northern Italy's Stelvio climb, a 2.9km-ascent at an average gradient of 8.69%.

* George Russell took a runaway win for Williams in Formula One's virtual Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday, the day the cancelled showcase race should have taken place in real life. Mercedes reserve Esteban Gutierrez finished 39 seconds behind with local hero Charles Leclerc third for Ferrari in a home race in every sense given that he was competing from his Monaco apartment on a simulator.

* Arsenal's top-scoring striker and captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who raced for McLaren in Sunday's (May 24) virtual Monaco Formula One Grand Prix, is considering setting up his own esports team. The Gabonese is a keen video gamer, and has been getting in plenty of practice during the COVID-19 lockdown with the Premier League out of action.

Reuters, CNA