Digest

SOCCER

Milan ace nets fastest goal in Serie A history

AC Milan forward Rafael Leao scored the fastest-ever goal in Serie A history on Sunday, netting after just six seconds in a 2-1 win at Sassuolo which kept his side top of the table ahead of city rival Inter.

Milan, chasing a first Serie A title since 2011, launched straight into an attack from kickoff, with Turkish midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu setting up Portuguese Leao to slot home the rapid opener.

The previous fastest goal in the Italian top flight was scored by Paolo Poggi's for Piacenza against Fiorentina in December 2001, after eight seconds.

Milan has a one-point advantage on Antonio Conte's Inter which beat Spezia 2-1, with champion Juventus four points behind the leader in third following a 4-0 win over Parma on Saturday.

"We have four or five kickoff patterns. (Leao) was prepared," said Milan coach Stefano Pioli. "Winning this match really counts for a lot psychologically."

Man United routs Leeds to surge into contention

Manchester United waited 16 years to play old rival Leeds in the English Premier League, and then made it look distinctly second-class.

United charged to a 6-2 victory on Sunday, though both teams could easily have scored more, as it roared back into the EPL title race in third.

The easy win put United ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, which swept United aside 6-1 in October but is now mired in problems of its own. A 2-0 loss to Leicester dropped Spurs out of the Champions League spots and left Jose Mourinho's team with one draw and two defeats in an eight-day spell.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer credited his team with beating Leeds at its own game.

"We had a plan to get after them and go forward when we got the ball, and Scott (McTominay) gets two goals in the first three minutes which is a great start," Solskjaer said.

"We had to earn the right to win it by running just as much or more than them, so that was a challenge against one of the fittest teams in the league."

'Phenomenal' Benzema stars as Real goes top

Karim Benzema was described as "phenomenal "after scoring the opening goal and creating two others as Real Madrid won 3-1 at Eibar on Sunday to move level on points with city rival Atletico at the top of La Liga.

Benzema and Luka Modric scored inside the first 13 minutes in the Basque Country to put Zinedine Zidane's men on their way to a fourth straight league win, with Lucas Vazquez scoring a late third after Garcia Kike pulled one back for Eibar.

"He is decisive. What he does is phenomenal," said Real coach Zinedine Zidane in praise of French compatriot Benzema.

"Not just in terms of goals. I'm repeating myself on Karim, but he doesn't just score goals. Karim brings clear-sightedness to our game, that's very important."

Real sits behind Atletico on goal difference, but has the better head-to-head record, which could come in to play if they are still tied at the end of the season.

CYCLING

Tourism the big winner at Guangdong race

The first leg of the 2020 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area City Cycling Challenge kicked off on Saturday in Shanwei, Guangdong province, attracting cyclists from across China.

The event featured two categories－a 48-kilometer elite race and a 32-km cycle that was open to the general public.

Local organizers said the event was a great opportunity to facilitate the growth of the local sports and fitness industry. It also boosted local tourism, as many of the participants were visitors to Shanwei. Thanks to the layout of the course, the cyclists were able to enjoy some of the best views of the area.

"While we focus on leveling up and developing the sports industry, we always adopt a green and low-carbon philosophy," said Cai Jianxiang, the president of Guangdong Cycling Association. "We will learn from the experience of how we organized these events, and keep leveling up our services. Through organizing these events, we hope to facilitate our sports industry."

ICE HOCKEY

NHL finalizes deal for shortened season

Hockey is set to return Jan 13 after the NHL and players completed a deal on Sunday to hold a 56-game season that would include playoffs lasting into July to award the Stanley Cup.

The league's board of governors voted to approve the agreement that was backed by the NHL Players' Association executive board Friday night. The regular season is scheduled to go until May 8 with 16-team playoffs to follow.

"It'll be exciting to get going again," San Jose general manager Doug Wilson said on a video call. "It's been a challenging year and journey."

The season will be highly unusual in at least one respect: There will be four divisions－North, South, East and West－and all play will be within them through the first two rounds of the playoffs to minimize travel and the potential for the coronavirus to disrupt the season. The North Division contains only the seven Canadian teams.

Agencies - China Daily