Europe

BERLIN — Bundesliga matches can only have an attendance of up to 50% and up to a maximum of 15,000 spectators after the German government on Thursday reintroduced restrictions for sports events amid rising cases of COVID-19 infections.

Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel and her successor Olaf Scholz agreed with the leaders of Germany's 16 states on a number of measures, including the reduction of fans in outdoor and indoor sports events.

COPENHAGEN — Denmark's Inter Milan midfielder Christian Eriksen has begun working out at the training ground of his youth club in Denmark following his rehabilitation after suffering a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020, a spokesperson for the club said on Thursday.

It wasn’t a convincing win but Real Madrid defeated Athletic Club 1-0 on Wednesday night at the Santiago Bernabéu to open a seven-point lead over Atlético at the top of LaLiga (although los Colchoneros maintain a game in hand).

Athletic doesn’t make it easy for anyone — the Basque side entered this match with the division’s best defensive record after conceding 10 goals through 14 matches — but they came up against two of the planet’s most in-form players in Karim Benzema and Vinícius Júnior, and it was ultimately that duo that made the difference.

HONG KONG - Beijing Guoan posted a farewell message to Cédric Bakambu on their social media account on Tuesday, with the Congolese striker becoming the latest high-profile foreign player to leave the Chinese Super League.

Bakambu, who has been linked with a January move to Barcelona, has been with the club since signing from Villarreal before the start of the 2018 CSL campaign.

The 30-year-old France-born forward's contract is due to expire at the end of the year.

Cristiano Ronaldo has hit back at comments made by Ballon d'Or organizer Pascal Ferré, saying the editor-in-chief of France Football "lied" about his rivalry with Lionel Messi.

Ferré told the New York Times on Friday that Manchester United forward Ronaldo's sole ambition was to retire with more of the awards for the world's best player than Messi.

Manchester United put their worries to one side to frustrate Premier League leaders Chelsea with a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge on Sunday as Jadon Sancho scored a breakaway goal that was cancelled out by a Jorginho penalty.

Chelsea, under pressure after Manchester City and Liverpool both won earlier over the weekend, were dominant against a United side playing their first Premier League match under caretaker manager Michael Carrick after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's sacking last weekend.

LISBON - Benfica's Primeira Liga match at Belenenses on Saturday was abandoned amid extraordinary scenes after their COVID-19-hit opponents were forced to name a team of nine players — including two goalkeepers.

Benfica took advantage of their numerical superiority to rack up seven goals by halftime before Belenenses returned with only seven players for the second period.