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PARIS — A hectic schedule of club football ahead of the World Cup is interrupted this week as national teams get a last chance to fine tune their preparations before travelling to Qatar for the start of the tournament on November 20.

Holding the World Cup in the middle of the European season is having major consequences for clubs but also for coaches of national teams.

While domestic competitions bear the brunt of the upheaval to the calendar as they are forced to halt a week before the opening game in Qatar, that also means there will be next to no time for squads to work together before beginning their World Cup campaigns.

Extra importance is therefore placed on events over the next week, as European sides complete the UEFA Nations League group stage while other contenders play friendly matches, including back-to-back games for Brazil on French soil against Ghana and Tunisia.

French concerns

Reigning world champion France is preparing to defend the crown they won in Russia in 2018 while simultaneously trying to avoid being relegated from the top tier of the Nations League.

Les Bleus, who won the Nations League last year, host Austria on Thursday and visit Denmark on Sunday needing to win both games to be sure of remaining in League A.

But France coach Didier Deschamps has numerous issues, not least injuries to key players including Paul Pogba — he is recovering from a knee operation which has left him facing a race against time to be fit for Qatar.

“He will do everything to try to be fit as quickly as possible, despite the lack of time,” Deschamps told broadcaster TF1 on Sunday.

It is also too early to say if a dispute between Kylian Mbappe and the French Football Federation over image rights could impact squad morale, with the Paris Saint-Germain star refusing to take part in a photo shoot on Monday.

France’s latest squad features several new faces who are hoping to seize their chance to impress before final lists must be submitted to FIFA by November 13.

Toney gets England chance

England manager Gareth Southgate has handed an opportunity to Brentford forward Ivan Toney as the Euro 2020 runners-up play Italy and Germany in Nations League A3.

Like France, England suffered a series of poor results in June and so realistically need to win both of these games to avoid relegation to League B.

But Southgate will run the rule over an expanded 28-man squad with Qatar in mind.

“Part of the rationale is that we are very close to a World Cup and we feel, although our results were disappointing in the summer, we have picked on the basis of form and capability over a long period,” Southgate said last week.

Spain and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal will warm up for the World Cup by meeting in Braga on September 27 in a game that could decide which of the Iberian neighbours advances to the Nations League finals next June.

Meanwhile, fresh from signing a new four-year deal, Wales manager Robert Page has named Los Angeles FC’s Gareth Bale in his squad for games against Belgium and Poland.

Wales look set to be relegated from their Nations League group too, but that is not something that will concern them too much before they return to the World Cup stage for the first time since 1958.

BERLIN — Second-half goals from Jordan Siebatcheu and Sheraldo Becker propelled Union Berlin back to the top of the Bundesliga with a 2-0 home win over Wolfsburg on Sunday.

Union, in only their fourth year in the top division, are the Bundesliga’s only unbeaten team after seven matches and will finish top for the second week in a row. 

Union manager Urs Fischer suggested things were running so well with his table-topping team, that he could take a back seat. 

“I thought it was very impressive how the side delivered — it was a very mature performance in my eyes,” Fischer told German news agency SID. 

“In the second half we were very dominant. I didn’t feel the need to exert any influence from outside.”

Before the match, the biggest cheer from the Alte Foersterei crowd was reserved for returning defender Timo Baumgartl, who made his first appearance in the starting XI since overcoming testicular cancer. 

Speaking after the victory, Baumgartl told broadcaster DAZN “that’s exactly what I was dreaming of after chemotherapy”.

“These are emotional moments for me.”

Furious at the Foersterei

Just as they did last matchday against Cologne, Union opened in furious fashion, almost taking the lead after just 45 seconds when Janik Haberer forced a block from Wolfsburg ‘keeper Koen Casteels.

Union had another chance through Becker just two minutes later, but the Bundesliga’s leading goalscorer blazed over. 

As the half wore on, Nico Kovac’s Wolfsburg took the sting out of the game and produced the chance of the first half, with Josip Brekalo’s shot, set up by a backheel from Bartol Franjic, skimming just wide. 

Siebatcheu was inches wide from breaking the deadlock in the 46th minute, but the American did not wait long to give the home side the lead, heading in a perfect Becker cross from close range in the 54th minute. 

Provider turned scorer in the 77th minute, when Becker controlled a long-ball with his chest before slamming it past Casteels for his sixth goal of the season. 

While Union sit in first, Wolfsburg end the round second last in the table, with one win and two draws from seven matches. 

Manager Kovac told the post-match press conference “Union deserved the victory”, but said it was too early for the Wolves to be concerned about relegation. 

“No-one is relegated after seven games — and no-one becomes champions,” Kovac said. 

“We are not doing the basics right. Passion, brotherhood, fighting spirit, that’s what we are missing at the moment. [And] that’s what I see at Union.”

Becker and Siebatcheu have combined for nine of Union’s 15 goals, with Becker providing three assists.

In Sunday’s late game, Hoffenheim held Freiburg 0-0 at home, despite each side having the chance to go second with a victory. 

The draw was Freiburg’s second successive 0-0 result in a row. 

With both sides securing a point, Bayern Munich — who have gone four matches without a win — fell out of the top four.

Also on Sunday, Bochum missed a chance to secure their first win of the season, conceding a late equaliser at home against Cologne to draw 1-1. 

AMMAN — Jordan is among nine nations who have secured a spot in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-20 Asian Cup which will be held in Uzbekistan in 2023.

The Kingdom’s team ended its qualifiers atop Group D after they held Chinese Taipei 0-0 in its last match. Jordan needed a win or draw to take the group lead and move to the championship as 44 nations played in 10 groups with the top team in each group and five best second place teams moving to the finals.

Syria finished second in the group and among team who stand a good chance of moving to the championship.

In Group D qualifiers hosted in Amman, the national squad beat Turkmenistan 3-1, Syria 2-1, and newcomers to the scene, the Northern Mariana Islands 16-0.

Saudi Arabia moved from Group A, Qatar from Group B, Japan from Group C, South Korea from Group E, Indonesia from Group F, Oman from Group G, Tajikistan from Group I and Iran from Group J. 

Group H as well as best second placed teams are yet to be decided after matches in October.

Meanwhile, the U-17 national team is also preparing for their Group A qualifiers for the U-17 Asian Cup which will also be held in Amman next month. Jordan will play alongside Japan, Syria, Philippines, and Turkmenistan as 44 nations contest qualifiers in 10 groups with the top team in each group and five second place teams moving to the finals in Bahrain in 2023.

This year, the senior football squad secured qualification to the 2023 Asian Cup after an early exit from the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Jordan has now reached the Asian Cup five times since first taking part in qualifiers in 1972. The highlight was at the 13th Asian Cup in 2004 when they lost to Japan in the quarterfinals and jumped to the best ever FIFA Ranking of 37th. They also reached the Asian Cup in 2011, 2015 and 2019.

Jordan’s U-23 squad was eliminated from Round 1 at the 5th AFC U-23 Championship in their fifth time at the event. In 2014, they finished third; in 2016, reached the quarterfinals; in 2018, they were knocked out of Round 1; and reached the quarterfinals in 2020.

LAS VEGAS — Saul “Canelo” Alvarez retained his undisputed super-middleweight world title on Saturday, seeing off Gennadiy Gennadyevich Golovkin (GGG)  to complete their epic fight trilogy in Las Vegas.

Mexico’s Alvarez was in charge for most of 12 rounds at an electric T-Mobile Arena, winning a unanimous decision to spark wild scenes of celebration among the Mexican fans who made up most of the sell-out crowd.

One judge scored the bout 116-112 while the two others saw it 115-113 for Alvarez, who took control early and continued to cruise even as Golovkin stepped it up in the late rounds.

“Thank you so much, my friend,” Alvarez said to Golovkin in the ring after a bout whose build-up was marked by some bitter rhetoric. “We gave the fans three good fights. Thank you for everything.”

It was a welcome return to form for Alvarez, who suffered the second defeat of his career earlier this year after moving up to light-heavyweight to face Dmitry Bivol.

“You have to continue to move forward,” he said. “I have shown that defeats can show you can be great and you can regain your humility.

“He is a good fighter, a real fighter,” he added of Golovkin. “I am glad to share the ring with him.”

This return to 76 kilos clearly suited Alvarez, but Golovkin was left to rue a leaden start in which he only sparked into life when it was too late.

“It was a tactical mistake on my part to start slow, but we wanted to see how the fight was going to develop,” Golovkin said. “I think we both started slowly.”

Alvarez improved to 58-2-2 with 39 knockouts, but he said he knew in the first round he wouldn’t get the KO he said he said before the bout he craved.

“First round, I knew he’s tough,” Alvarez said. “He’s a tough fighter. I need surgery, my left hand is not good. But I’m good, I’m a warrior, that’s why I’m here. I can’t hold a glass. It’s really bad. But I’m a warrior.”

This highly anticipated third tussle between two of the hardest hitting fighters in the world came a whole four years after their last meeting.

Back in 2018, it was Alvarez whose hand was raised at the end of 12 frenetic, quality rounds which saw Golovkin suffer defeat for the very first time as he came out on the wrong end of a narrow majority decision.

Their first fight the year before ended in a draw and the outcome of the second bout was tough on the Kazakh warrior, who has little time for Alvarez and made no bones about it during the build-up here this week.

The bad blood had boiled ever since the Mexican failed a drugs test and was banned for six months which held up this edge-of-your-seat trilogy.

Golovkin, who fell to 42-2 with one drawn and 37 knockouts, said any dispute with Alvarez was “100 per cent” settled and he felt no animosity for him.

“I want to shake hands with Canelo,” he said, “If you don’t understand, you don’t understand anything.”

Alvarez came to the ring roared on by his adoring public, many of whom were still in the mood for a party after Mexican Independence day celebrations in Sin City.

GGG has been on the road for almost a decade, so taking on Alvarez — and the pumped up crowd — was nothing new, unlike fighting at super-middleweight which was a first for the 40 year-old.

Chants of “Mexico! Mexico!” roared out as Alvarez opened aggressively, but couldn’t find a way through the Golovkin rearguard.

The first couple of rounds were cagey with Alvarez throwing a lot but not connecting with everything.

Golovkin’s face started to redden thanks to Alvarez’s jab.

The Mexican was firmly on the front foot. A big right hook in the fifth smashed against Golovkin’s granite chin, but the Kazakh was able to absorb the force and push his cause on against his far more aggressive opponent.

Golovkin started to show his age as Alvarez continued with a barrage of shots which attempted to break down the GGG defence.

In the ninth round, Alvarez found himself against the ropes but Golovkin just couldn’t make any inroads even though he had begun to throw more shots.

The last few rounds were frenetic and action packed, Golovkin throwing everything at his Mexican opponent but it was too little, too late as Alvarez held firm.

Alvarez said he wasn’t surprised at Golovkin’s late pressure. “It didn’t surprise me. I know him — he’s a strong fighter.”

BARCELONA — Relentless striker Robert Lewandowski pounced twice as Barcelona hammered 10-man Elche 3-0 to move a point clear at the top of La Liga on Saturday. 

The Polish forward continued his sensational form since joining from Bayern Munich this summer, taking him to 11 goals in eight appearances across all competitions.

Real Madrid boast a 100 per cent record after five games.

So this was a chance for Barcelona to provisionally depose the champions and they seized it.

“We’ll sleep as leaders for the first time in two years,” said Barca coach Xavi Hernandez. “We’ve done our homework and got the three points. We’re on the right path.”

Xavi rotated in midfield after the Champions League defeat by Bayern Munich on Tuesday, with Frenkie de Jong and Franck Kessie stepping in, while Memphis Depay was handed a rare start in attack. 

Elche, bottom of the table, made the job significantly easier for the hosts when Gonzalo Verdu hauled down Lewandowski as he burst through on goal after 14 minutes and was swiftly dismissed. 

Barcelona racked up the chances and inevitably Lewandowski broke the deadlock after 34 minutes. 

Pedri set Alejanrdo Balde in down the left and the young defender cut a ball across the six-yard box for the veteran striker to simply cushion into the net. 

“We knew he would score goals and make the difference, but the personal side of him has surprised me,” said Xavi.

“He has a lot of humility, commitment, hunger. He’s very hard working.”

Memphis doubled the lead with a sharp individual turn and powerful strike which flew past Edgar Badia, and Pedri added a third shortly before half-time but it was disallowed for offside.

Barcelona only had to wait three second half minutes for it, with Lewandowski pouncing on a loose ball in the box and finishing clinically to put the game far beyond Elche’s reach.

After Cadiz’s late win over Real Valladolid on Friday night, Francisco Rodriguez’s side were left bottom of La Liga on one point, and never looked like changing it against Xavi’s sparkling Barca. 

Badia denied Lewandowski his hat-trick with a fine save and the striker fired fractionally over the bar before being replaced by Ferran Torres, to an ovation from home supporters already under his spell. 

Long after Lewandowski had been replaced, his name continued to ring around the stadium. In the forward, Barcelona finally have a player to replace Lionel Messi’s goal contributions and help them compete for the title again, which they last won in 2019. 

Lewandowski’s arrival and the club’s summer signings spree have given supporters a reason to watch again, as the 85,000 strong crowd testified to, compared to last season’s languishing attendances.

“The excitement of the fans is palpable, in the stadium, in the streets, you have to maintain this hope and belief,” added Xavi. 

“The people are connected, Barcelona’s support is more alive than ever.”

Elsewhere, Ernesto Valverde’s Athletic Bilbao moved up to third in the table after beating Rayo Vallecano 3-2 in an entertaining clash at San Mames.

Inaki Williams levelled for Athletic after veteran midfielder Oscar Trejo opened the scoring for the visitors.

Oihan Sancet and Nico Williams, fresh from his call-up to Luis Enrique’s Spain squad for the upcoming Nations League clashes, netted to give the hosts a two goal lead in Bilbao.

Radamel Falcao pulled one back late on, but Valverde’s side held out for the victory, moving three points behind Barcelona.

Valencia thrashed Celta Vigo 3-0 at Mestalla to move eighth as Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani made his debut following his move from Manchester United.

Gennaro Gatuso’s team have a 100 per cent home record and played with conviction.

Samu Castellejo broke the deadlock in the first half, before Celta’s Franco Cervi was sent off for a rash tackle on Thierry Correia.

Marcos Andre and Andre Almeida added late goals to wrap up the win.

Real Mallorca beat Almeria 1-0 at Son Moix.

MILAN — AC Milan will have to find a way past Serie A title rivals Napoli without wing wizard Rafael Leao, a huge absence for the champions for Sunday night’s big San Siro clash.

Leao is suspended after being sent off in last weekend’s fiery encounter at Sampdoria and coach Stefano Pioli will miss the Portugal winger’ lighting pace and trickery as Milan try to claim the outright league lead in Italy.

Leao was again key on Wednesday night as Milan dealt with Dinamo Zagreb to claim their first home Champions League win in nine years and move top of Group E.

The 23-year-old was fouled for Olivier Giroud’s opener from the penalty spot and then set up Alexis Saelemaekers to double Milan’s lead early in the second half with a perfectly flighted cross.

Leao has already scored three times and set up five more in his eight appearances in all competitions. Without him Milan lose a huge attacking weapon.

Giroud is back in the France fold after netting four times and both of his non-penalty goals were laid on by Leao, who was a target for Chelsea in the summer and is yet to renew his contract.

“How will we replaced him? We won’t have the same characteristics as a team... we’ll look for a different solution,” said Pioli after the Dinamo win.

Milan’s technical director Paolo Maldini said on Wednesday that Chelsea had made an informal offer for Leao in the close season which was rejected but added that “it’s pointless being a romantic”.

“When offers of a certain type are made, no-one is unsellable,” said Maldini.

Milan are level on 14 points with Napoli and Atalanta, the trio separated by goal difference in a fast start for two surprise packages. 

Napoli were in turmoil over the summer but are firmly in the early season title talk after thrilling Italian and continental audiences with their attacking football.

They are without a star of their own in Victor Osimhen, the Nigeria striker out with a thigh injury picked up during last week’s hammering of Liverpool.

However his absence didn’t slow them down at Rangers midweek as Napoli netted three times to stay top of Group A with a perfect six points.

Napoli have rattled in 20 goals in all competitions. New signings Giacomo Raspadori and Giovanni Simeone have settled in to Luciano Spalletti’s revamped team, who will fancy their chances of making an early Scudetto statement.

An action-packed Sunday also features Atalanta at Roma, who are one point behind the leading pack alongside Udinese ahead of their clash with Inter Milan.

Crisis-club Juventus have the perfect chance to bounce back from their Champions League humiliation at the hands of Benfica when they travel to bottom club Monza, who on Tuesday sacked Giovanni Stroppa and brought in former youth team coach Raffaele Palladino.

Player to watch: Nicolo Zaniolo

The Italy international started Roma’s Europa League match with HJK on Thursday, an early return for a player had been in impressive form before being sidelined by injury last month.

The 23-year-old’s career has been blighted with two serious knee injuries but in the opening weeks of this campaign he had returned to the sparkling form which had so excited fans when he first arrived in 2018.

His link up with Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Tammy Abraham will be crucial to how Roma fare against Atalanta, who have no European commitments and look a serious proposition again.

MADRID — Late strikes from Fede Valverde and Marco Asensio maintained Real Madrid’s 100 per cent start to the season with a 2-0 Champions League home win over RB Leipzig on Wednesday.

It threatened to be a frustrating night for the 14-time winners and European holders until Valverde finally provided the breakthrough in the 80th minute.

It continued the Uruguayan midfielder’s recent fine form and he celebrated emphatically in front of a relieved Santiago Bernabeu.

Substitute Asensio then slammed home the second in stoppage time after Toni Kroos pulled a short free-kick back to the edge of the box. 

Victory kept Madrid top of Group F on six points, ahead of Shakhtar Donetsk on four, and they have won all eight games they have played this season in all competitions.

“With the shot that he has I told him if he’s not capable of scoring 10 goals a season then I’d snap my coaching licence. His foot is a rock!” joked Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti of Valverde. 

“He’s not just dynamic and energetic, but he reads situations well and is intelligent.”

Leipzig tested Thibaut Courtois early on when Christopher Nkunku broke down the right flank and squeezed off a shot from a tight angle. At the other end, Rodrygo dragged a strike wide of the near post. 

The Brazilian forward, playing as a false nine in the absence of injured talisman Karim Benzema, was chosen over Eden Hazard and Asensio after impressing against Real Mallorca last weekend.

There were half-chances at both ends — Timo Werner for the visitors and Eduardo Camavinga for the hosts — before the best opportunity of the first half fell to Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger, who steered a header well wide.

Luka Modric tumbled under heavy pressure in the area shortly before the break but his appeals were waved away, to the chagrin of Madrid’s increasingly frustrated fans. 

Ancelotti switch pays off

After netting 16 goals in their last five games, home supporters expected more creativity and Ancelotti took action by sending on Asensio for midfielder Camavinga. 

The forward was whistled by sections of the Bernabeu after he had shown his frustration at not being given more game time this season on the side of the pitch during the win over Mallorca. 

The hosts’ angst grew when Vinicius, the scorer of last season’s Champions League final winning goal against Liverpool, was denied by Peter Gulacsi from close range after Valverde had barrelled into the area in typically intense fashion. 

Madrid finally broke the deadlock when Valverde, deployed on the right of the attack to great effect, cut inside and curled home with his weaker left foot. 

It was his third goal in six games, following strikes against Celta Vigo and Mallorca, with the 24-year-old continuing to show why he is preferred in the position.

Spain winger Asensio also staked his claim with his late contribution to offer Ancelotti and his detractors in the stands food for thought.

“I congratulated him, he performed,” said Ancelotti. “He did not play for most of the game but he was important in earning the win. 

“His reaction after his outburst has been very good, he’s trained well, he had a good game.”

LIVERPOOL — Joel Matip’s 89th minute header kickstarted Liverpool’s season as a 2-1 win over Ajax at Anfield put the Reds back in the running to reach the last 16 of the Champions League.

Jurgen Klopp’s men had won just two of their opening seven games of the season, and suffered a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Napoli on matchday one.

Last season’s Champions League finalists were much more like their old selves but still needed a late winner from an unlikely source after Mohammed Kudus had cancelled out Mohamed Salah’s opener.

Victory takes Liverpool level on three points with Ajax and Napoli.

“If you put the two games next to each other, I don’t think you recognise the same squad,” Klopp said of his side’s improvement from six days ago in southern Italy.

The match was preceded with a minute’s silence to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Liverpool fans had booed the national anthem before winning both domestic cup finals last season, but any fears of a mass political protest were dispelled with only small band of individuals interrupting the moment of reflection.

On the field, Liverpool have had enough bad headlines to cope with so far this season.

Klopp described their demolition by Napoli last week as the worst performance of his nearly seven years in charge.

A record-equalling defeat in the Champions League for Liverpool compounded an already poor start to the Premier League season.

But with Matip, Thiago Alcantara and Diogo Jota restored to the starting line-up after injuries, Liverpool were a far closer reflection of the side that came to within two games of a historic quadruple last season. 

“It’s the first step but nothing more,” added Klopp, whose side are not in action again for another two-and-a-half weeks with Sunday’s match against Chelsea postponed due to policing pressures around the Queen’s funeral.

Nunez fails to fire

Jota’s inclusion came at the expense of Darwin Nunez as Liverpool’s new 80 million euro ($81 million) signing had to settle for a place on the bench for the second consecutive game.

The Portuguese international more than justified his inclusion, though, as he latched onto Luis Diaz’s header and teed up Salah to score his first goal in four games.

But the defensive deficiencies that have dogged Klopp’s men in the early months of the season were exposed for Ajax’s equaliser.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was again guilty of not tracking a runner as Steven Berghuis broke down Ajax’s left and Kudus spun onto his cross before crashing in a shot off the underside of the bar.

Liverpool responded positively from that setback, but failed to make their dominance count for over an hour.

Remko Pasveer in the Ajax goal blocked efforts from Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Jota either side of half-time, but was not required to perform miracles.

Nunez was introduced along with Roberto Firmino for the final half hour as Klopp threw caution to the wind with a front four also featuring Salah and Diaz.

That decision nearly backfired as Ajax were inches away from picking off the hosts on the counterattack when Daley Blind’s header drifted just wide.

Nunez has endured a far from stellar start to his Liverpool career after being sent off on his home debut for a headbutt on Crystal Palace’s Joachim Andersen.

The Uruguayan blew his big chance to silence the critics when he skewed wide with just Pasveer to beat eight minutes from time.

Salah’s deflected shot then hit the woodwork, but just when it appeared Liverpool’s luck was out, they struck from the resulting corner.

Matip rose highest to meet Kostas Tsimikas’ corner and the ball had crossed the line before Dusan Tadic cleared.