A North Korean women’s soccer club will visit South Korea for a face-off between the rival neighbors, making it the first sports team since 2018 to play on the South’s soil, the Unification Ministry in Seoul said on Monday.

North Korea’s Naegohyang Women’s FC is set to play against the South Korean Suwon FC ​Women ‌on May 20 in the semi-finals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Champions ⁠League.

What do we know about the rare game?

Pyongyang has sent ​a list of a delegation of 27 players ⁠and ​12 staff ​who would visit ​South Korea ‌for the semi-final ​of ⁠Asia’s top-tier women’s football club competition, ​the ministry said.

It did not give further details on the exact date of the team’s arrival, but the French AFP news agency reported they would arrive on May 17.

The winning club would play the league’s final against either Australia’s Melbourne City or Japan’s Tokyo Verdy Beleza on May 23.

“The losing team in the semi-final will return home on Thursday, May 21, with no third-place playoff scheduled,” the South Korean Unification Ministry said in a press statement.

What is the history of the North-South sports interactions?

The last time North Korean athletes competed in South Korea was in 2018 when shooting, youth football and table tennis delegations traveled there.

The two Koreas had also formed a historic unified ice hockey team at the 2018  Winter Olympics, held in Pyeongchang.

Monday’s development comes as Seoul, under President Lee Jae Myung, seeks to mend a years-long strained relationship with Pyongyang.

The two sides technically remain at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice rather than a formal peace treaty.

Edited by: Rana Taha

This first-round series against the Orlando Magic was a major test in the rapidly ascending career of Cade Cunningham, and he passed it with flying colors. For the first time in his five NBA seasons, Cunningham is headed to the second round of the playoffs after the Pistons defeated Orlando, 116-94, in Game 7 on Sunday. 

This was dicey for the Pistons, who were in pure survival mode in this series. When they went down 3-1, they looked all but finished in a particularly problematic matchup against one of the only teams that can match the Pistons’ defense and physicality. Only two factors provided real hope of a comeback: Orlando’s painfully poor offense and Cunningham. Both came through.

Outside of Paolo Banchero, Orlando’s offense was utterly inept in Game 7 and for most of the series overall. You could’ve pulled a fan out of the stands to shoot better than Jalen Suggs. Meanwhile, Cunningham was incredible, particularly when Detroit’s margin for error shrank to zero. 

It goes way beyond the numbers, but that’s where we’ll start. With it all on the line, Cunningham became the first player in history to record at least 30 points, 10 assists, two blocks and two 3-pointers in a Game 7, and he cleared those filters comfortably with 32 points, 12 assists and four 3-pointers on Sunday.  

Cade vs. elimination

For the series, Cunningham averaged 32.4 points, 7.1 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the only other player who averaged 30 points through the first round). The Pistons won his minutes by 49 points, and lost his bench minutes by 16. 

Over the final three elimination games, Cunningham scored 109 points. It’s tied for the most a player has ever scored in Games 5-7 of a series while overcoming a 3-1 deficit, along with LeBron James (109 points in the 2016 Finals vs. Golden State) and Jamal Murray (109 points in 2020 vs. Utah in the first round). 

In Game 6, with the Magic leading by as many as 24 and appearing well on their way to becoming the seventh No. 8 seed in history to upset a No. 1 seed, Cunningham proceeded to outscore the Magic 24-19 by himself in the second half. 

It’s easy for people to drop the “this is what superstars do” line in moments like this, but the truth is, very few superstars actually do what Cunningham just did. Last season the Pistons were playing with house money. In these playoffs, Detroit is expected to contend. That’s a different animal. And there isn’t a single player in these playoffs with more on his shoulders than Cunningham. 

Give Tobias Harris his flowers (30 points with five 3-pointers in Game 7, and 22 and 8 for the series), but for all intents and purposes, the Pistons were pretty exposed as a one-man show in this series. 

The Magic are a nasty, pressure defensive team, and the Pistons, devoid of any real shooting threat, did not force them to space out. As a result, Cunningham basically had 10 eyeballs, and multiple bodies, on him at every turn and still managed to pull 227 points and 50 assists out of these rugby-scrum possessions. 

You largely excuse his 41 turnovers in this series because of how much he had to do and how much pressure he was under while doing it. It wasn’t always efficient for the same reasons, but in the end he finished with a true-shooting percentage north of 60 and was 40% from 3. 

Even in the stretches when nothing was going right, he never lost his poise or compromised his pace; if anything, that is what superstars do. He kept attacking the paint. Kept working himself to the free-throw line, where he was 62 for 74 for the series. When it counted, his shot was pure. He finished 11 for his last 19 from deep. 

“We built a lot of momentum going into these playoffs, and to lose in the first round would have really stung,” Cunningham said following Game 7. “It would have stung the city. The city has gotten more and more excited about this team, and we feel the love, so we wanted to perform.”

Suffice it to say, Cunningham performed. And he’ll have to continue to do so if the Pistons are going to get past Cleveland in the conference semifinals. Hopefully Jalen Duren rediscovers his offensive juice, and as a whole the Pistons are able to provide Cunningham with more proper support, but no matter what happens, from here on out Detroit will have the best player on the floor in Eastern Conference series it enters. 

That counts for a lot. 

Think of it this way: Cunningham has now seen by far the toughest defense in the Magic he’ll see the rest of the way through the East, so in that sense things get considerably easier from here. Don’t be surprised if the Pistons take off after escaping this upset. Again, Orlando was like playing their twin. Against Cleveland, and potentially New York or Philly, they can get back to winning bully-ball style. 

This was a huge step for Detroit. And for Cunningham, as he continues to force his way into the top-tier of the superstar conversation. He isn’t a finalist for MVP, but he’s an MVP-caliber player. He proved that all season. And he definitely proved that in this series. 

Inter Milan won the Italian Serie A title after beating Parma 2-0 at home on Sunday, 3rd May 2026. SportsRation reports.

Goals from Marcus Thuram and Henrikh Mkhitaryan helped Inter secure their 21st league title with three matches still left to play.

The victory moved Inter to 82 points, giving them a 12-point lead over second-placed Napoli, who played a goalless draw against Como on Saturday.

Inter only needed one point to become champions, but they celebrated in style with a comfortable win in front of their fans.

Speaking after the match, Nicolo Barella praised the spirit of the team.

“I always said that you can make mistakes on the field, but this team never lost the desire to stay together. We always gave everything we had. You can win or lose, but I am so proud of these players,” Barella told DAZN.

Inter controlled most of the first half and nearly scored in the 25th minute when Barella hit the crossbar with a powerful shot.

The breakthrough finally came in first-half stoppage time when Thuram finished calmly after receiving a pass from Piotr Zielinski.

Inter continued to dominate after the break but wasted several chances to increase their lead.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan made sure of the win in the 80th minute when he scored from close range after a pass from captain Lautaro Martinez.

The title success was a strong response from Inter after last season’s disappointment, when they lost the Serie A title on the final day and later suffered a heavy defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final.

“We feel so happy now. It was not easy to start again after a season where we lost all the competitions we were in right at the end, but I am very happy today with this achievement,” Martinez said.

“It was a very important objective for us. Maybe many people did not see us as favourites after what happened last season, but we worked very hard on and off the field.”

Liverpool boss Arne Slot was not happy when he spoke after his side’s defeat to Man Utd in the Premier League.

Arne Slot embarked on a fiery rant about referee decisions against his side in response to a question about Benjamin Sesko scoring for Manchester United against Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.

Sesko made it 2-0 in the first half against Liverpool and VAR reviewed the goal for a possible handball. The Premier League’s Match Centre said: “The referee’s call of goal was checked and confirmed by VAR – with it deemed there was no conclusive evidence that Sesko handled the ball before scoring.”

Liverpool fought back with two goals in quick succession at the start of the second half, but Kobbie Mainoo scored in the 77th minute to inflict an 11th defeat of the Premier League season on Slot’s side.

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During his post-match press conference, Slot was asked whether the goal should have been chalked off for handball, a question that prompted a fiery rant from the Dutchman about refereeing decisions.

“If it was a touch, which I think it is, because if you know a bit about ball sports, you know that if a ball has a certain curve and the curve changes, there must have been a contact,” Slot said.

“But if it’s light then we should have a debate in football about whether that’s enough to disallow a goal. But the rule is if there was a touch then it should have been disallowed.

“I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone this season that if there’s a VAR intervention or if there’s something that could be left or could be right (50-50) then the decision goes against us.

“That has been the whole season every single time this season. I remember Paris Saint-Germain at home, getting a penalty for a soft touch on Mac Allister but of course the VAR intervenes and says no, no, no, this is not a penalty. Then one week later when I see Paris Saint-Germain play against Bayern Munich and get that same soft touch but the penalty stays.

“I saw last week my goalkeeper on the floor with an injury and the referee doesn’t stop the game. I see a player of United off the pitch today and the referee stops the game when we try to play on.

“That has been our whole season. But the second goal we didn’t concede because of a handball, we conceded it because we lost the ball in a stupid position and we lost a few big moments afterwards in duels.

“We have to first look at ourselves, that is completely clear and obvious, but that decisions have gone every single game against us, that’s also completely clear and obvious.

“When we played United the first time this season, I had one of my players needing five stitches on the floor, and the referee didn’t stop the game and we conceded. This is a complete pattern over the whole season, but there is also a pattern that we concede ridiculous goals when we are the better team, one or two are switching off and then we concede a goal.

“That we have more influence on, so I should focus much more on that than on these referee decisions that go against us. It’s clear that it’s the whole season the same.”

United’s win means they did the double over Liverpool in a Premier League season for the first time in 10 years. The victory also gives the Reds a strong chance of finishing above their fierce rivals for the first time since 2022/23.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

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NEW DELHI: Shakib Al Hasan has once again expressed his desire to return to Bangladesh, but insisted that he needs assurance of “normal security” before doing so.

The former Bangladesh captain, who has not returned home since May 2024, opened up about the legal and political issues surrounding him in a detailed interview.

Shakib’s situation changed dramatically after the Awami League government was dethroned on August 5 last year. The veteran all-rounder, who served as a Member of Parliament for the party, was later named in an FIR linked to an alleged murder case despite not being in the country at the time.

He subsequently continued playing international cricket, featuring in Test matches against Pakistan and India, with the Kanpur Test against India becoming his last international appearance.

Speaking about his return in an interview with Bangladeshi media outlet bdnews24.com, Shakib said, “I have complete hope. I will return. I hope I can return soon. I will return, go to court, fight the cases. There is no problem. But they have to ensure my security.”

Clarifying what he meant by security, he added, “I am not saying security means roads have to be closed for me or four police cars have to be in front of me. But there is such a thing as normal security — that I will not be harassed until the legal process is completed.”

Shakib also addressed allegations related to stock market manipulation, ACC investigations and cheque-bounce cases. Dismissing speculation around the accusations, he questioned why no evidence had emerged despite investigations continuing for nearly two years.

“My bank account has been frozen, so I cannot do that. Why is my bank account frozen? Maybe they felt it needed to be frozen for the sake of investigation. But that investigation has now been going on for a year and a half. They have found nothing so far,” he said.

The cricketer maintained that if authorities find proof against him, he is willing to face trial. “If guilt is proved, take action. If nothing is found in the investigation, give clearance, release me,” he stated.

Despite his confidence in the legal process, Shakib admitted uncertainty over the situation. “Nothing feels abnormal anymore,” he remarked while acknowledging fears of possible arrest if he returns home.

Tottenham looked like a team destined to secure Premier League survival after they beat a dire Aston Villa 2-1 to move out of the bottom three.

Spurs put in their best performance of the season to claim three crucial points at Villa Park, thanks to first-half goals from Conor Gallagher and Richarlison.

They look a different side under Roberto De Zerbi, registering back-to-back league victories for the first time since August, and are now favourites to beat the drop.

The north London club leapfrogged West Ham in the table and with a home game to come against Leeds, after the Hammers host Arsenal, their position could be even rosier next week.

The way they pressed and won back possession all over the pitch was reminiscent of De Zerbi’s Brighton, giving every indication Spurs will be a top flight team next season.

They were fortunate to come up against a Villa side who produced their worst display of the season, with their attention clearly on Thursday’s Europa League semi-final second leg against Nottingham Forest.

Indeed, Villa were so bad they scored in the sixth minute of time added on with their only effort on target, with Emiliano Buendia heading home.

Unai Emery’s men still have their league business to look after, though, and missed the chance to all but seal a Champions League spot for next season.

Tottenham came into the game buoyed by West Ham’s 3-0 defeat at Brentford on Saturday and they will have been further enthused when they saw a Villa side featuring seven changes from their midweek loss to Forest in Europe.

They were the better team from the off and had a great chance to open the scoring inside two minutes.

Gallagher pressed well and forced Villa into a mistake playing out from the back, with the ball finding Richarlison 12 yards out, but his shot was blocked.

A deserved lead came in the 12th minute as Gallagher scored his first goal for the club.

A long throw was headed out to the on-loan Atletico Madrid midfielder, who slammed a 25-yard shot into the bottom corner.

Spurs were within inches of making it 2-0 five minutes later. Paulinha shot from distance and his low 20-yard shot was heading into the bottom corner until Emiliano Martinez tipped it onto the post.

Villa were abject and were again reliant on their Argentinian goalkeeper to keep the deficit at one as he palmed Randal Kolo Muani’s far-post effort over the crossbar.

However, from the resulting 25th minute corner, Spurs doubled their advantage.

Tel’s cross was begging to be converted and Richarlison obliged, nodding into an empty net after Martinez went walkabout.

Spurs were in dreamland and deserved every bit of their success.

They were quicker, stronger and smarter than their opponents, who looked like their hearts were not in it.

Villa did not improve after the break either and failed to test Spurs goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky until late on, when Buendia headed home Matty Cash’s cross.

But this was to be Tottenham’s night as they made a big move towards securing survival.

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Inter Milan won their third Serie A title in six seasons on Sunday thanks to a 2-0 victory over Parma that ignited the celebrations at a jubilant San Siro and across the city. Marcus Thuram’s side-footed finish just before half-time set Inter on their way before Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s second-half goal put the Scudetto beyond doubt. With three matches left, Inter have a 12-point lead over reigning champions Napoli and 15 more points than third-placed AC Milan.

The San Siro was a sea of blue and black and thousands of fans also gathered in front of Milan’s Duomo cathedral to celebrate their team’s 21st Italian title.

Inter have successfully overcome the traumatic end to last season under the calm guidance of coach Cristian Chivu, who was almost a novice at this level when he took over last summer.

Less than a year after losing the 2025 title race by a point and collapsing to a 5-0 humiliation by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final, Inter are back at the top.

“Today, we are all happy, but we must not forget all the work accomplished, because it was very difficult to start again after the end of last season when we lost in all the competitions we could win,” Inter captain Lautaro Martinez said.

Chivu’s rejuvenating effect

Inter owe this success largely to Chivu, the club’s former player and a surprise appointment in June to replace Simone Inzaghi, who won six trophies and reached two Champions League finals in four seasons but left for a lucrative deal in Saudi Arabia.

With small steps and few new signings, Chivu has breathed new life into the side.

Inter can complete the third league and cup double in their history if they beat Lazio in the Coppa Italia final on May 13 at the Olympic Stadium in Rome.

Juventus missed a chance to exploit AC Milan’s earlier slip and take third place in Serie A as they drew 1-1 at home with relegated Verona.

The Turin giants did, however, climb three points clear of Como in the chase for the fourth Champions league qualifying spot.

AC Milan had relinquished their last, slim, hope of catching Inter at the top as they subsided 2-0 at mid-table Sassuolo.

Milan endured a nightmare afternoon in Reggio Emilia, crashing to a fourth defeat in their last seven matches.

Juventus remained two points behind Milan after struggling to breach determined defending from Verona, who were relegated on Friday.

While Juve dominated possession they handed their visitors the opener when Domagoj Bradaric pounced on a poor pass and slid in a low cross that Kieron Bowie scuffed home.

It was one of Verona’s only two shots on target. Bowie drilled a long-range shot straight at Michele de Grigorio in the Juventus goal in the last five minutes.

Juventus, meanwhile, bombarded the visitors’ goal, taking 23 shots, six of them on target. 

Dusan Vlahovic levelled after 61 minutes with a free kick from 25 metres.

In Sassoulo, it took just five minutes for Sassuolo to take the lead through Domenico Berardi. 

Massimiliano Allegri’s Milan side played with 10 for most of the match after English defender Fikayo Tomori was sent off in the 24th minute.

Frenchman Armand Lauriente doubled Sassuolo’s lead in the 47th minute and a furious Allegri made a string of changes to no avail.

“I understand our fans’ frustration; we all want to secure Champions League qualification as soon as possible,” Allegri told broadcaster DAZN. 

“In these difficult times, we must keep our heads held high. We have three matches left to play, and with two wins, we’ll be in the Champions League.”

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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IPL 2026 News | RCB Outplay CSK For 2nd Win On Trot, Ruturaj Gaikwad & Co Suffer 3rd Loss

Stop me if this sounds familiar, Raptors fans. You’ve just overachieved in the regular season. You’re facing the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs. Your best overall player has largely held his own, but your designated star scorer just couldn’t replicate his regular-season success. Your young players flash upside that you think might materialize into greatness on the right roster. A promising season ends because you ran into an opponent with more star power.

Cheer up. At least it wasn’t LeBron James this time. The pieces otherwise fit cleanly. The Raptors built an identity around defense, transition and depth this season that launched them into a surprise playoff berth. Scottie Barnes acquitted himself very well in his first postseason since his rookie year, much as Kyle Lowry typically held up his end of the bargain in those LeBronto losses. What’s more, Toronto’s injuries may have inadvertently shown the Raptors what the best version of their team should ultimately be. With starting point guard Immanuel Quickley out, Barnes functioned as the point guard in this series, taking advantage of his playmaking while minimizing his shooting woes. He just needed more scoring help. 

But playing the role of DeMar DeRozan this time around was Brandon Ingram, a surprise All-Star choice this season who struggled mightily against Cleveland before getting knocked out with a heel injury. RJ Barrett held up his end of the bargain in a supporting role but just can’t be expected to match baskets with the NBA’s best scorers. Collin Murray-Boyles was one of the breakout players of the first round, but Jamal Shead and Ja’Kobe Walter were also defensive menaces. Squint hard enough and you’ll see shades of Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam. They just need to be put in the right situation.

The Raptors took two notable steps to address their last handful of playoff losses to Cleveland. The first was a coaching change. Don’t count on another. Darko Rajaković impressed in both the regular season and playoffs. He proved strategically adaptable against Cleveland and installed a motion offense that made the most of Toronto’s limited shooting. He shouldn’t go anywhere.

The second move? That one’s a bit more repeatable. They traded for Kawhi Leonard.

We all remember how it went last time. Toronto, stuck in a regular-season rut with a LeBron-shaped playoff ceiling, broke up its Lowry-DeRozan pair to add Leonard on an expiring contract. James moved West, but Leonard proved productive enough to carry Toronto through a newly deep Eastern Conference and ultimately past LeBron’s frequent Finals foe, the Warriors, to give the Raptors their first championship.

Leonard left soon after to sign with the Clippers, who are now under investigation for circumventing the salary cap to overpay him. Whether that investigation forces Leonard out of Los Angeles or not, the Clippers are already moving in another direction. They traded James Harden for Darius Garland at the deadline, then swapped Ivica Zubac for Bennedict Mathurin and picks. They’re getting younger, preparing for whatever the next iteration of their team looks like. Leonard, who will turn 35 this offseason, no longer fits that vision.

Why trading for Kawhi Leonard makes sense despite the risks

Trading for Leonard this time around would probably be a bit more costly, at least in terms of picks. Ingram likely doesn’t hold the trade value DeRozan did at the time, when the Spurs were just trying to remain competitive. The Clippers tend to prioritize championship equity, and a floor-raiser like Ingram is better-suited to a team like this year’s Raptors, who are just trying to get in the dance. They’ll want picks and they’ll probably want Toronto’s young big, much like San Antonio did. Jakob Poeltl was a worthwhile sacrifice for Leonard in 2018. Murray-Boyles is not. He will surely be untouchable in any Toronto offseason dealings unless perhaps they take a run at Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Hence, more picks. The Raptors have picks to spend. They control all of their own moving forward and, given Leonard’s age, their picks deep into the future would probably appeal to the Clippers. Pinning down his exact value is tricky. He’s coming off one of his best and healthiest seasons, but at his age, he’s a risk moving forward. Regardless, there will be a market for him. Too many teams need wing defense and high-level playoff shotmaking. He’s not netting the massive, four- or five-pick hauls that younger wings have been getting in recent years. It’s probably taking multiple picks, though.

The Raptors will explore alternatives. They were linked to just about everyone at the deadline. Maybe they’ll take another look at a buy-low candidate like Ja Morant. They’d probably love to add someone on Barnes’ timeline, but young stars tend to be picky about markets, and few ever seem eager to cross the border. If, through some unlikely turn of events, the Nuggets broke up, a native Canadian like Jamal Murray would of course make more sense. He just probably isn’t going to be available. Toronto, by virtue of its cold weather and the inconveniences of playing in another country, tends to have a hard time selling the sort of prime-aged, incredibly desirable stars they’d prefer to pair with Barnes on actually playing for them. The Raptors usually have to take some risks.

Leonard would still be a risk on a few levels. It’s not just his age and injury history. He chose to leave Toronto. He wanted to play closer to home. Even if the Clippers made it clear they plan to move him, he still does have some agency, both through his expiring contract and the basic fact that having a moody Leonard on your team does you little good. If he has a specific destination (or a few) in mind, that complicates matters.

Of course, the Raptors could mitigate any concerns by offering a contract extension. Doing so would be tricky given how many bad contracts are already on their books. In a perfect world, they’d get off of Poeltl in the deal, but don’t count on the Clippers or anyone taking him without getting assets for doing so. Maybe they could turn Quickley into a cheaper guard? If point-Barnes is a viable strategy moving forward, that could help. But getting off of Quickley’s hefty contract wouldn’t be easy either, and besides, you need as many ball-handlers as you can get to survive the 82-game grind. The Raptors would either need to get creative or potentially let Barrett walk after next season, a tough pill to swallow given his heroics against Cleveland. 

The basketball fit is straightforward. The Raptors were an average half-court offense that lived in transition. Leonard tends to play slowly. If the young, athletic Raptors can generate easy points and Leonard can score the hard ones, their overall offense should soar. The combination of a great transition offense and an apex shotmaker tends to work out fairly well. That’s how the Thunder are built, after all. 

Leonard is by no means the defender he was at his peak, but he wouldn’t need to be playing on this roster. Barnes is going to make an All-Defensive team this season. Murray-Boyles looks like he’ll have a chance to do so down the line, and Shead and Walter were relentless against Cleveland. Leonard can scale up when needed, and he’s still a stellar generator of turnovers, which would only help his younger teammates get out on the break.

There’s an argument to be made against making any sort of short-window investment as a mid-tier playoff team right now. The Thunder and Spurs are so good that the optimal roster-building path is a long window, giving your team as many chances as possible at an unexpected outcome rather than betting it all on fewer, lower-odds opportunities. The very Warriors team Toronto beat in 2019 drew similar arguments at the time. The Warriors were better than the Raptors at that point, but the Raptors put themselves in a position to benefit from Golden State’s injuries. That’s the real debate here. You can waste an entire era waiting for the perfect move, or you can take your swing when the moment presents itself and let the chips fall where they may.

Barring something unforeseen, it is unlikely that a player better than Leonard becomes available to the Raptors in the near future. If one does, he will almost certainly cost more than the older Leonard would. The Eastern Conference is getting better. Indiana will be back in the mix next season. Charlotte, Atlanta, and even the 60-win Pistons should get better through sheer aging. There’s no guarantee the Raptors can replicate this year’s success a year from now. 

In 2018, they didn’t view replicating a season like this as a particularly desirable outcome. It’s not enough to make the playoffs. The goal is to win there. Toronto’s best path to doing so is the one they took eight years ago. The Raptors just suffered a familiar defeat. Now it’s time for a familiar response.

Manchester United secured qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League after a thrilling 3-2 victory over rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford.

Young midfielder Kobbie Mainoo scored the winning goal late in the match, just three days after signing a new five-year contract with United.

The Red Devils made a strong start and went 2-0 ahead before half-time through goals from Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko.

Liverpool fought back quickly after the break as Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo scored to level the match at 2-2.

But United found the winner in the closing stages after Liverpool failed to clear a cross from Luke Shaw. The ball dropped kindly for Mainoo, who fired a first-time shot into the bottom corner to send the Old Trafford crowd into celebration.

The victory confirmed United’s return to Europe’s top club competition after missing out for the past two seasons.

It also gave United their first Premier League double over Liverpool since the 2015/16 season.

The result further strengthened the position of interim manager Michael Carrick, who has impressed since taking charge of the team.

Under Carrick, United have now recorded victories against Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.

The match was also notable for the absence of former United manager Alex Ferguson, who reportedly left the stadium in an ambulance as a precaution after feeling unwell.