Swansea head coach Vitor Matos is "really pleased" with their unbeaten start to the Championship season, but insisted they still have small improvements to make.
Goals from Joseph Opoku, Eom Ji-sung and Ronald gave Swansea a 3-0 win at Derby, taking Matos' charges to seven points from three games - their best start to a season since 2020-21.
The Swans won just seven of their 23 away Championship fixtures last season, but have taken six points from six at the start of this campaign.
Matos, into his second campaign in charge of Swansea, is pleased with their improved record on the road, and feels his players are enjoying themselves.
"There is still a lot to play [this season], but we are really pleased that we did a good job for our fans who were here," said Matos.

#season #pleased #championship #still

Hertha BSC recorded a comeback victory away at Eintracht Braunschweig in an eight-goal thriller in 2. Bundesliga. Stefan Leitl's side have won each of their first four games of the new season, despite low expectations at the start since they haven't replaced the players departing this summer.
This game did look like a reflection of that reality for the large part of the first-half. Yann Sturm put the hosts ahead inside the first ten minutes before Niklas Kolbe's howler helped Kevin Ehlers to double their advantage.
Braunschweig also had two clear-cut opportunities through Sturm and Aaron Opoku, but they found themselves level at the break after conceding two late goals. Icelandic striker Jón Dagur Thorsteinsson scored on his full debut before Josip Brekalo's memorable strike in the final kick of the first-half.
The Croat attacker capitalized on Braunschweig's poor corner-kick that led to a counter-attacking move as he beat former FC Bayern goalkeeper Ron-Thorben Hoffmann with a brilliant curler. Hertha also started the second-half brightly as Ehlers canceled his goal by beating his own shot-stopper from Thorsteinsson's delivery.
Kolbe also had his moments in both boxes as the center-back won a penalty-kick twenty minutes before time, which was calmly converted by Brekalo. Hertha's new captain started the season in top form as he hopes to return to Bundesliga with the capital city club.

#season

England boss Steve Borthwick has shaken up his centrally contracted squad with just over a year to go until the Rugby World Cup.
Borthwick has announced the 25 players who will receive enhanced player contracts, worth around £150,000, for the 2026-27 season.
Handed an elite deal for the first time are prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour, lock Alex Coles, flanker Guy Pepper, scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet and centre Seb Atkinson.
Flanker Ben Curry, versatile back Elliot Daly, centre Ollie Lawrence and wing Tom Roebuck all miss out on contracts, while France-bound number eight Tom Willis is no longer eligible for England selection.
Curry and Daly have both been hit by long injury lay-offs over the past year, while Roebuck and Lawrence have fallen out of favour after previously being mainstays of the side.

#curry #year

Steve Borthwick has handed out enhanced England contracts to five new faces as the core of his squad is revealed with a year to go until the Rugby World Cup.
The England head coach is permitted to hand out 25 deals, believed to be worth in excess of £150,000 per year, each season in an agreement that grants him greater control over the group of players.
Sale prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Northampton lock Alex Coles, Bath flanker Guy Pepper, Leicester scrum half Jack van Poortvliet and Gloucester centre Seb Atkinson join the list of contracted players.
Tom Willis drops off after his move to Bordeaux Begles rendered him ineligible for international selection, with Sale's Ben Curry and Tom Roebuck, versatile Saracens back Elliot Daly and out-of-favour Bath centre Ollie Lawrence losing their contracts.
George Furbank, who has swapped Northampton for Harlequins this summer, retains a deal despite having not featured for England since November 2024 amid a horror injury run. Furbank was due to start against South Africa in July, only to be ruled out with appendicitis.

#england #northampton

Magdeburg and Eintracht Braunschweig will start their 2026/27 season with the same opening matchday fixture from last term. The visitors took all three points that time, despite playing with ten for the entire second-half.
Both sides will aim for survival after occupying the last two spots just above the relegation zone in the 2025/26 season.
Here are how the two teams will start the game at Avent-Arena.
Magdeburg: Reimann ©; Bockhorn, Jaeckel, MacNulty, Nollenberger; Hyryläinen, Michel, Kwarteng; Iyoha, Zukowski, Atik
Braunschweig: Hoffmann ©; Aydin, Ehlers, Frenkert, Sanchez; Flick, Di Benedetto, Marie; Opoku, Urbich, Sturm

#start #here

Swansea City ended their pre-season preparations with a 1-0 home victory over Leganes courtesy of a long-range strike from new recruit Joseph Opoku.
Ghana international Opoku, making just his second appearance since joining from Zulte Waregem, finished coolly from 35 yards after Leganes keeper Raul Fernandez had come out of his area.
Opoku's precise effort gave Swansea a deserved win as they dominated possession for long spells against their Spanish second-tier opponents.
When the home side did lose the ball, Vitor Matos' desire to play a pressing game was in evidence as his players hunted to win it back.
Even so it was Leganes who had the first chance of the day, with Alvaro Tejero a little wasteful as he shot over Lawrence Vigouroux's bar.

#opoku #second #city #zulte

Ghana manager Carlos Queiroz accused England star Jude Bellingham of sparking a heated confrontation between the teams during their FIFA World Cup draw. The former Manchester United coach alleged that the Real Madrid midfielder escalated tensions on the touchline with a profanity-laced outburst.
England left Tuesday's game feeling disappointed in Group L after securing just a single point against Ghana. The Three Lions were unable to penetrate a compact defensive setup in their second match of the competition.
Following a challenge on Jerome Opoku near the technical areas that went unpunished, Bellingham became involved in a heated altercation with opposition players and argued with a Ghana staff member. Queiroz took exception to the situation and delivered an angry barrage of words toward Bellingham while being restrained by his own staff.
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England manager Thomas Tuchel defended Jude Bellingham after the midfielder was involved in a heated row with Ghana boss Carlos Queiroz at half-time of Tuesday's goalless draw.
Bellingham had to be pulled away by team-mate Morgan Rogers as he engaged with the Ghana coach and his backroom staff.
It came shortly after a foul when Bellingham shoved Jerome Opoku and tensions spilled over after the referee had blown for half-time.
The fall-out continued as players and coaches walked across the field to the tunnel at Boston Stadium.
"It was an exchange of emotions, and Jude stood up for himself and his team," said Tuchel.

Jude Bellingham was involved in a brief bust-up with Ghana boss Carlos Queiroz with England manager Thomas Tuchel denying that their Group L opponents “got under their skin” during the 0-0 draw in Boston.
The incident came at half-time and shortly after Bellingham fouled Jerome Opoku near to Ghana’s technical area. Bellingham and Queiroz exchanged words and the England midfielder had to be pulled away by team-mate Morgan Rogers while several Ghana substitutes held back the veteran Queiroz.
“He had a bad reaction with some bad names, that’s why the story started,” Queiroz later said. “My intention was to tell him to cool down with that tackle. It could be a second yellow card, a red card, because he went with his foot against my player.”
Asked what Bellingham had said, Queiroz replied: “It was nothing special. It’s just that emotional moment, the moment he had one word that is not in the book of life. It could create a little bit of fire. But immediately as professionals we pulled up. Football is something for brave people – not for people dancing in tuxedos.”
England ******* istant Anthony Barry followed Bellingham off the pitch at half-time and the Real Madrid midfielder was substituted during the second half and was replaced by Rogers, but England could not find a winner.