World Sports News in Brief

France eclipse holders Portugal to reach Nations League final four

France handed defending Nations League champions Portugal a rare defeat on Saturday, winning 1-0 in Lisbon with N'Golo Kante's second-half strike to reach the competition's final four at the expense of the holders.

Soccer Football - UEFA Nations League - League A - Group 3 - Portugal v France - Estadio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal - November 14, 2020 France's N'Golo Kante celebrates scoring their first goal with with teammates. (Reuters)
Soccer Football - UEFA Nations League - League A - Group 3 - Portugal v France - Estadio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal - November 14, 2020 France's N'Golo Kante celebrates scoring their first goal with with teammates. (Reuters)

* Goals from Dejan Kulusevski and Marcus Danielsson snapped Sweden's four-game losing streak in the Nations League as they beat Croatia 2-1 in Stockholm on Saturday.

* Spain captain Sergio Ramos missed two penalties but team mate Gerard Moreno came off the bench to grab a late equaliser and snatch a 1-1 draw away to Switzerland in the Nations League on Saturday.

* Erik Hamren will step down as head coach of Iceland after his side's final Nations League game against England on Wednesday (Nov 18). Iceland lost their Euro 2020 playoff to Hungary on Thursday after conceding two late goals and that has prompted the 63-year-old, who led his native Sweden to the Euros in 2012 and 2016, to step away.

* Atletico Mineiro lost an early goal but came back to beat Corinthians 2-1 away from home on Saturday and return to the top spot in Brazil’s Serie A.

* AC Milan coach Stefano Pioli has tested positive for COVID-19, the Serie A leaders said in a statement on Saturday. Milan said the 55-year-old was showing no symptoms, was in quarantine at home and that Saturday's training session had been cancelled.

* Switzerland, the country that banned motor racing for 60 years, will on Sunday (Nov 15) witness its only Formula One team joining an elite club of the sport's grandee outfits. The modest Sauber team will start its landmark 500th race at the Turkish Grand Prix - a feat achieved by only three other teams, led by Ferrari.

* Canadian Lance Stroll celebrated a stunning first career pole position for Racing Point at the Turkish Formula One Grand Prix on Saturday to end Mercedes' season-long stranglehold on qualifying. Stroll was the first Canadian on pole since 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve.

* Italy’s Jannik Sinner became the youngest first-time winner on the ATP Tour in 12 years on Saturday after edging Canadian Vasek Pospisil 6-4 3-6 7-6(3) to claim the Sofia Open.

Reuters, CNA