Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco has called up midfielder Mandela Keita for the first time for upcoming European Championship qualifying matches against Austria and Sweden

Manuel Akanji has his sights firmly set on the treble after Manchester City took a huge stride towards becoming only the second English side to achieve that feat. City ruthlessly swept aside 14-time European kings Real Madrid 4-0 on Wednesday to power into next month’s Champions League final. With the team also on the brink of securing their fifth Premier League title in six seasons and through to the FA Cup final, a glorious end to the season is on the cards. Claiming all three trophies would see them emulate the achievement of rivals Manchester United – coincidentally their FA Cup opponents at Wembley – in 1999. City defender Akanji, who joined the club from Borussia Dortmund in September, said: “First we have got to win the Premier League. That’s what we can do on the weekend and I hope we are going to do it. “Then it’s two finals and we want to win both of them. “It would be unbelievable. It is my first season here. It is the best team I have ever played in and we have been really confident in the second part of the season. “I think we’ve done a really good job but we’ve got to keep it up until the end.” Victory over Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday would see City clinch the Premier League with two games to spare. Manager Pep Guardiola would then have the luxury of being able to rest or rotate players ahead of their finals, against United on June 3 and Inter Milan in Istanbul a week later. Their stunning performance against Real, when they trampled all over the most successful club in European competition history to complete a 5-1 aggregate win, puts them at short odds to complete all three. “It’s a great feeling,” said Switzerland defender Akanji, who was responsible for City’s third goal after his glancing header was deflected in by Eder Militao. “From the first minute we stepped on the court we were confident. “I think at home, in all the knockout games, we have had pretty impressive wins. It shows how good we are here and now we have got to do this at the weekend as well to bring home the Premier League and then two other titles too.” Bernardo Silva set up City’s victory with two first-half goals and Julian Alvarez completed the rout late on.

Max Verstappen is looking to bounce back at the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend after his incredible 10-race win streak ended in Singapore following Carlos Sainz’s thrilling victory. The Ferrari driver held off Lando Norris, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton in the closing stages to claim his 2nd Formula 1 victory - and the first non-Red Bull win since Russell’s triumph for Mercedes in Brazil last November. PREVIEW: A sudden drop off or just a blip? Max Verstappen provides the answer Norris earned the ninth podium of his career after coming home second while Russell will be eager to get back in the cockpit after a last-lap crash saw him lose a spot on the podium, taken by Hamilton. Verstappen finished fifth, with Charles Leclerc fourth. Last year at Suzuka - a dramatic race that took place in heavy rain and saw a close call with Pierre Gasly and a recovery vehicle - saw Verstappen’s win clinch his second world title. However, the Dutchman cannot win the 2023 world championship this weekend. Follow live updates from the Japanese Grand Prix with The Independent Read More A sudden drop off or just a blip? Max Verstappen provides the answer Lewis Hamilton says ‘something’s up’ at Red Bull – if Max Verstappen struggles in Japan George Russell insists 2023 has been his ‘best season ever’ despite Singapore crash

The Atlantic Coast Conference presidents are set to meet Friday as the league tries to come to a decision on expanding West with Stanford, California and SMU, a person with knowledge of the meeting told The Associated Press

Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor has been placed on the 10-day injured list with an oblique strain

Chelsea have named their price for Mateo Kovacic amid interest from Man City.

The New York Jets’ third practice of training camp marked the first session open to the public

Chet Holmgren has already been playing this summer on his surgically repaired right foot

A breakdown of every major VAR decision made during Chelsea's enthralling 4-4 Premier League draw with Manchester City.

Lionel Messi and his World Cup-winning Argentina teammates are expected to draw almost 70,000 fans to Beijing Worker’s Stadium for an international friendly against Australia

Max Verstappen helped Red Bull clinch the Formula One constructors' championship and took a giant step towards his third straight drivers' title by winning the...

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Devin Neal ran for 112 yards and the go-ahead touchdown for Kansas with 55 seconds left, Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel threw incomplete to the end zone on the final play of the game, and the Jayhawks beat the sixth-ranked Sooners 38-33 on Saturday.