Lisbon tourney will go ahead: Uefa

BERN • Uefa said on Tuesday it was fully committed to staging a Champions League Final Eight tournament in Lisbon next month despite several suburbs of the city preparing to go back into lockdown as coronavirus cases climb again.

The European football body's president Aleksander Ceferin said he saw "no need for a Plan B" after discussing plans with Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa, although Uefa recognised that organising the tournament represented "great challenges".

The competition will use a straight knockout format and the quarter-finals and semi-finals will be staged over one leg, instead of the usual two, with the final to be held on Aug 23.

REUTERS

Juve stay ahead of challengers Lazio

ROME • Juventus maintained their four-point lead atop Italy's Serie A on Tuesday after strolling to a 3-1 win at Genoa that keeps chasers Lazio at bay despite their 2-1 comeback triumph at Torino.

Three stunning individual goals from Paulo Dybala, Cristiano Ronaldo and Douglas Costa downed relegation-threatened Genoa and kept Maurizio Sarri on course to deliver Juve's ninth consecutive top-flight league title in his first season as coach.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

India drops name in hat to host Asian Cup

KUALA LUMPUR • India is one of five nations to have expressed an interest in hosting the 2027 Asian Cup, the Asian Football Confederation said yesterday.

Qatar, the reigning champions and 2022 World Cup hosts, is also interested in hosting the continental championship, as are regional football powerhouses Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Uzbekistan.

REUTERS