...and a bonus for Williams
Speaking of the midfield, Carlos Sainz brought home Williams' best sprint race finish — coming home in sixth. Getty Images
A decent bounty of points for Haas today with Esteban Ocon in fifth and Oliver Bearman in P7.
All counts for a lot when you are in the battle in the midfield.
Comfortable stuff for Max Verstappen. Besides that one moment going a bit deep at the final chicane, he didn't miss a beat.
Make that 12 wins in sprints now for the Dutchman, 10 more than any other driver.
Thibaut Courtois waves the checkered flag and Max Verstappen crosses the line in front of Oscar Piastri, with Lando Norris in third.
A sharp overtake on Lap 1 sealed it, and that was job done.
A very welcome sprint race win for the four-time defending world champion and his Red Bull team.
LAP 13/15 — Just two laps to go. Max Verstappen holding off Oscar Piastri, who's holding off Lando Norris.
Boy this is close at the front…
LAP 10/15 — Some smart defence from Max Verstappen. He reports on the radio he 'can't break on the peak' and made a mistake into the Bus Stop, going a bit deep.
That let Oscar Piastri get the closest yet into Les Combes, but Verstappen weaved a bit (fairly!) and placed his car perfectly to ensure the McLaren couldn't try a move.
Just 1.3 seconds separating the top three right now…
Here is the Lap 1 move that got Max Verstappen ahead of Oscar Piastri and into the lead of this sprint race...
LAP 8/15 — Fair play to the two Haas drivers. Esteban Ocon is still sitting in P5, and Oliver Bearman P7.
Only modest points on offer in the sprint race, but that would still be a double-points finish if they can hold on.
LAP 7/15 — Oscar Piastri still can't get close enough on the run from La Source to Les Combes.
Lando Norris is making some tiny gains on the lead duo, but hardly enough to seriously get in the fight. Getty Images
LAP 6/15 — That's third place for Lando Norris, sweeping past Charles Leclerc. A very easy move with DRS.
He's got two seconds to make up to Oscar Piastri though, which will be tough.
Piastri still hasn't gotten close enough to try a move back on Max Verstappen yet.
The higher top-end speed of the Red Bull is going to protect Verstappen a lot.
LAP 4/15 — It took a little while but Lando Norris is back past Charles Leclerc.
Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri has set the fastest lap of the sprint race so far. He is just seven-tenths behind the leader.
And Pierre Gasly has joined the race in an extremely orderly fashion, as his extra practice session begins — because he's not in a race here. Getty Images
LAP 2/15 — Zero surprise to see Max Verstappen sweep into the lead. The skinnier wing on the Red Bull meant he was always going to be able to have a run on Oscar Piastri down to Les Combes.
Now a question of whether he can hold on against the McLaren, which should be gaining ground in the middle sector and onwards.
LAP 1/15 — Lights out. Away we go! Solid start from Oscar Piastri, but once through Raidillon, Max Verstappen finds a way past Piastri on the opening lap.
Charles Leclerc does the same on Lando Norris for third too.
Boom.
All drivers are starting the race on mediums except for Franco Colapinto, who is on softs from the pit lane.
Franco Colapinto will start from the sprint lane, after he has a rear wing change following sprint qualifying yesterday.
And it is now confirmed Pierre Gasly will not race due to that water leak in his Alpine — although he might join the race later for a few laps of grand prix qualifying and race prep.
That means there will be just 18 cars on the grid for the start, and in effect 19 in the sprint race.
Five minutes until lights out for the sprint race in Belgium.
LET'S GO… Getty Images
An update from Alpine on Pierre Gasly...
💬 'Pierre will not start today's Belgian Grand Prix sprint race from the grid due to a suspected water leak on his car. The team will look to rectify the issue as soon as possible ahead of the start.'
As a side note, Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is here on the grid — a huge F1 fan, and huge in real life! Getty Images
Here is how the grid will line up for today's sprint — and yes, it will be interesting to see how this grid differs to the one starting tomorrow's grand prix… 1: OSCAR PIASTRI (MCL)
> 2: Max Verstappen (RBR)
Max Verstappen (RBR) 3: Lando Norris (MCL)
Lando Norris (MCL) > 4: Charles Leclerc (FER)
Charles Leclerc (FER) 5: Esteban Ocon (HAS)
Esteban Ocon (HAS) > 6: Carlos Sainz (WIL)
Carlos Sainz (WIL) 7: Oliver Bearman (HAS)
Oliver Bearman (HAS) > 8: Pierre Gasly (ALP)
Pierre Gasly (ALP) 9: Isack Hadjar (RB)
Isack Hadjar (RB) > 10: Gabriel Bortoleto (SAU)
Gabriel Bortoleto (SAU) 11: Lawson (RB) / 12: Tsunoda (RBR)
13: Russell (MER) / 14: Alonso (AST)
15: Stroll (AST) / 16: Albon (WIL)
17: Hülkenberg (SAU) / 18: Hamilton (FER)
19: Colapinto (ALP) / 20: Antonelli (MER) Luke Smith
Anthoine Hubert's mother is here on the grid with Pierre Gasly, who was a close friend of the late French driver.
Gasly has stayed close to the family and arranges a yearly track run in memory of Hubert, who died at Spa in 2019 aged 22.
Gasly also has 'Anthoine H.' on his cap this weekend.
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Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Five tactical themes that defined Women's Euro 2025: More systemised, less individualistic
Euro 2025 was, put simply, a very good tournament. There were no goalless draws nor genuinely bad games. Every side scored — in fact, every side scored in the final round of group matches alone. A paucity of draws in the group stage, which suggested a clear difference in quality between sides, gave way to a knockout stage where five of the seven matches were all-square after 90 minutes, bringing tension and drama to proceedings. But on a deeper tactical level, what was the tournament all about? The main theme is an extension of the one from the 2023 World Cup: the women's game is becoming more systemised and less individualistic with each passing tournament. In 2023, Aitana Bonmati was the rightful winner of the tournament's player of the year award, even though she'd actually been marked out of a couple of knockout matches, and her contributions had been modest. In this tournament, she assisted the opener in the 2-0 quarter-final win over Switzerland with a brilliant backheel and scored the winner in the 1-0 semi-final win over Germany by blasting home at the near post. But this wasn't Bonmati anywhere near her best — in part because she only recovered from viral meningitis shortly before the tournament — and she still won the player of the tournament award again. But who else was there? Her two midfield colleagues presumably run close. Alexia Putellas started the tournament brilliantly before fading. Patri Guijarro would have been a deserved winner, too. Aside from that, it's difficult to think of many contenders. Given her penalty shootout heroics and her fantastic pass against the Netherlands, England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, perhaps? In other words, it was difficult to name a single attacker who had a truly outstanding tournament. Spain's Esther Gonzalez finished as the top goalscorer with just four goals. 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The most telling sign was that Germany, with arguably the most fearsome individual attackers, looked completely unsuited to being tournament winners at the start of the competition — they were just too open — but after dropping Lea Schuller for the more functional Giovanna Hoffmann and being forced into a safety-first approach against France when down to 10 players, they suddenly looked like contenders. The second theme is that a clear gulf remains between the top six sides (England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden) and everyone else. At Euro 2022 and Euro 2025, those sides were P28, W27, D1, L0 against the other nations, and the sole draw came in a dead rubber of a final group game three years ago, when the stronger team could probably have won had they needed to. Everyone is progressing, but the established order also feels clearer than ever. With those results, the only hope of an outsider reaching the latter stages was based on the draw, rather than a giant-killer. There wasn't a single genuine surprise result at this tournament, with Italy coming closest in their semi-final loss to England. With most of Western Europe — which is home to the dominant nations in the men's game — putting serious resources into women's football these days, it is difficult for anyone else to compete, except Sweden, who had something of a head-start having invested in women's football from an early stage. The third theme is the number of goals. 3.42 is a very high average goals-per-game rate; significantly higher than the 3.06 from 2022 and the highest since the competition expanded to eight teams in 1997. And there was no real 'cheating' here. Only two goals were scored in extra time. The level of goalkeepers, traditionally a weakness of the women's game, has increased enormously. There weren't a crazy number of thrashings. Why is this? There wasn't an increase in the number of shots overall. 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Spain are celebrated for their technical play, but throughout the tournament it was also notable how physically strong they were, how aggressively wingers Athenea Del Castillo and Claudia Pina got their bodies between ball and opponent, how Gonzalez battled against defenders, how the midfield charged forward to press. These are not players picked primarily for their technical rather than their physical skill. But their athleticism shouldn't be overlooked. There were no huge tactical surprises at the tournament, no grand revelations, no game-changing innovations. That doesn't happen anymore in an era where the availability of data and video means everyone knows everything about everyone else. 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Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Arsenal players seized the big moments at Euro 2025 – now they must do so in the WSL
You know she plays for Arsenal, right? So does she. Her, too. And her. That was part of the conversation throughout Euro 2025, a tournament which memorably culminated in England's shootout victory over Spain on Sunday. The decisive spot kick scored by Chloe Kelly of, you guessed it, Arsenal. Stina Blackstenius was the source of Arsenal fans' unbridled joy as she scored their Champions League-winning goal against Barcelona in May. Come the European Championship quarter-finals two months later, the same player had put England on life support by giving Sweden a 2-0 lead after 25 minutes. But then up stepped, yes, Arsenal's prodigious teenager Michelle Agyemang, off the substitutes' bench with an equaliser that took the game to penalties after Lucy Bronze had made it 2-1, from a Kelly cross, in the 79th minute. Two of the three subsequent penalties England scored in an epic shootout were taken by, yes, Arsenal's Alessia Russo and Kelly. England were through to the semi-finals, fortuitously so perhaps, but mainly thanks to a significant sprinkle of Arsenal-tinted stardust. When England fell behind again, this time 1-0 against Italy, coach Sarina Wiegman looked towards her contingent from the red and white side of north London to make the difference once more. Beth Mead for Lauren James was the first change due to an injury, but it was the second-half introductions of Agyemang and Kelly that proved crucial. With elimination seconds away, Agyemang had the poise to rifle the ball home to keep England alive again. Then it was over to Kelly to book their tickets to the final, scoring from the rebound after her extra-time penalty was initially saved. Arsenal to the rescue. Again. Of Spain's starters in the final, seven played for Barcelona, two for Real Madrid, another for the NWSL's Gotham FC, and one for Arsenal. And, of course, it was — who else? — Arsenal's Mariona Caldentey who opened the scoring. 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With one league win from four by the time they lost 4-1 to Chelsea in October, their title hopes were over, and it was the end for head coach Jonas Eidevall. The club could have recruited his successor externally, but benefited hugely from instead promoting individual-development coach Renee Slegers. Arguably, Arsenal are stronger today than they ever have been in the modern era of the women's game. They are the European champions, they will play all their WSL home games at the Emirates Stadium in the coming campaign — 15,000 season tickets and six-game packages have been sold already — and have built on the momentum of their Champions League triumph, notably breaking the world transfer record in women's football to sign Olivia Smith from Liverpool for £1million. A key objective in this transfer window has been to increase competition for matchday places within the squad. 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Last season, she was on loan at Brighton & Hove Albion in the WSL, with Eidevall saying playing 'highly competitive minutes' was 'really important' for her development. Arsenal maintain a strong relationship with Brighton, and it's likely that this time they let them borrow Rosa Kafaji, the creative midfielder signed last summer from Swedish side Hacken. The south-coast club are considered a good place for her development, with the 22-year-old felt to be part of the future at Arsenal rather than being offloaded further down the line. It is not just on the pitch where Arsenal's ambition has been felt. They have hosted more women's games at the Emirates year-on-year since England's Euro 2022 triumph, and the team's fanbase has consequently grown. A sea of red and white shirts welcomed the squad home outside the stadium after that surprise victory over Barcelona in Lisbon, while on Sunday night the surrounding Highbury area was rife with cars beeping their horns to celebrate England retaining their Euros title. That support will continue into the new season. Even if they haven't won the WSL for six years, collectively and individually, Arsenal's players have seized the big moments of late, in Europe and internationally. Now it is time for them to do it domestically. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Arsenal, England, International Football, Women's Soccer, Women's Euros, Premier League 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Arsenal players seized the big moments at Euro 2025 – now they must do so in the WSL
You know she plays for Arsenal, right? So does she. Her, too. And her. That was part of the conversation throughout Euro 2025, a tournament which memorably culminated in England's shootout victory over Spain on Sunday. The decisive spot kick scored by Chloe Kelly of, you guessed it, Arsenal. Stina Blackstenius was the source of Arsenal fans' unbridled joy as she scored their Champions League-winning goal against Barcelona in May. Come the European Championship quarter-finals two months later, the same player had put England on life support by giving Sweden a 2-0 lead after 25 minutes. Advertisement But then up stepped, yes, Arsenal's prodigious teenager Michelle Agyemang, off the substitutes' bench with an equaliser that took the game to penalties after Lucy Bronze had made it 2-1, from a Kelly cross, in the 79th minute. Two of the three subsequent penalties England scored in an epic shootout were taken by, yes, Arsenal's Alessia Russo and Kelly. England were through to the semi-finals, fortuitously so perhaps, but mainly thanks to a significant sprinkle of Arsenal-tinted stardust. When England fell behind again, this time 1-0 against Italy, coach Sarina Wiegman looked towards her contingent from the red and white side of north London to make the difference once more. Beth Mead for Lauren James was the first change due to an injury, but it was the second-half introductions of Agyemang and Kelly that proved crucial. With elimination seconds away, Agyemang had the poise to rifle the ball home to keep England alive again. Then it was over to Kelly to book their tickets to the final, scoring from the rebound after her extra-time penalty was initially saved. Arsenal to the rescue. Again. Of Spain's starters in the final, seven played for Barcelona, two for Real Madrid, another for the NWSL's Gotham FC, and one for Arsenal. And, of course, it was — who else? — Arsenal's Mariona Caldentey who opened the scoring. As Kelly and Russo combined to level it up in the second half, references to UK newspaper The Mirror's 'Arsenal win the World Cup' headline, after Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit did the same to help France's men beat Brazil in that tournament's 1998 final, were already being made. Mariona, Kelly and Russo G/A… I'm leaving with something — Art de Roché (@ArtdeRoche) July 27, 2025 Three Arsenal players — Mead, Leah Williamson and Caldentey — did fail in the shootout after the score stayed 1-1 through 30 minutes of extra time, but that Kelly scored the shootout's winning penalty was somewhat fitting. The past year has been about Sliding Doors moments for her and Arsenal alike. Advertisement The 27-year-old forward was ready to 'take a break from football' before joining Arsenal on loan from Manchester City in January. Kelly had made just one league start in the first half of the 2024-25 Women's Super League (WSL) season, and her relationship with the club soured as she accused City of trying to 'assassinate my character'. Arsenal had issues of their own at the start of that season. With one league win from four by the time they lost 4-1 to Chelsea in October, their title hopes were over, and it was the end for head coach Jonas Eidevall. The club could have recruited his successor externally, but benefited hugely from instead promoting individual-development coach Renee Slegers. Arguably, Arsenal are stronger today than they ever have been in the modern era of the women's game. They are the European champions, they will play all their WSL home games at the Emirates Stadium in the coming campaign — 15,000 season tickets and six-game packages have been sold already — and have built on the momentum of their Champions League triumph, notably breaking the world transfer record in women's football to sign Olivia Smith from Liverpool for £1million. A key objective in this transfer window has been to increase competition for matchday places within the squad. Considering a major element of Chelsea winning the past six WSL titles has been their strength in depth, closing the gap in that regard was always a necessary step ahead of the forthcoming season. Re-signing Kelly permanently was a key part of that plan, as was recruiting two of Liverpool's best players, Taylor Hinds and Smith. The individual quality at Slegers' disposal was showcased throughout the Euros. Agyemang deservedly won young player of the tournament, but the quality of attackers in the squad at her parent club is such that it's not certain the 19-year-old will be a regular starter for them in 2025-26. Russo and Blackstenius would be her direct rivals for selection up front, while Kelly, Smith, Mead and Australia international Caitlin Foord are options out wide. Arsenal will need to make the best decision for Agyemang's development. Two seasons ago, that was a dual-agreement with Watford during which she scored for the Championship side against Arsenal in the FA Cup. Last season, she was on loan at Brighton & Hove Albion in the WSL, with Eidevall saying playing 'highly competitive minutes' was 'really important' for her development. Advertisement Arsenal maintain a strong relationship with Brighton, and it's likely that this time they let them borrow Rosa Kafaji, the creative midfielder signed last summer from Swedish side Hacken. The south-coast club are considered a good place for her development, with the 22-year-old felt to be part of the future at Arsenal rather than being offloaded further down the line. It is not just on the pitch where Arsenal's ambition has been felt. They have hosted more women's games at the Emirates year-on-year since England's Euro 2022 triumph, and the team's fanbase has consequently grown. A sea of red and white shirts welcomed the squad home outside the stadium after that surprise victory over Barcelona in Lisbon, while on Sunday night the surrounding Highbury area was rife with cars beeping their horns to celebrate England retaining their Euros title. That support will continue into the new season. Even if they haven't won the WSL for six years, collectively and individually, Arsenal's players have seized the big moments of late, in Europe and internationally. Now it is time for them to do it domestically.
