Rome, Sept 22 (AP/UNB) – Sassuolo moved into second place in Serie A with a 3-1 comeback win over Empoli on Friday.

After Empoli's Francesco Caputo scored just 18 seconds in, Sassuolo responded with goals from Kevin-Prince Boateng — his third in five matches — Gianmarco Ferrari and Federico Di Francesco.

Sassuolo is two points behind Juventus, which will look to extend its perfect record at Frosinone on Sunday, and one point ahead of Spal and Napoli.

Spal visits Fiorentina on Saturday and Napoli plays at Torino on Sunday.

London, Sept 22 (AP/UNB) — Former England defender Gary Cahill, who has won every major club trophy since joining Chelsea from Bolton in 2012, is likely to ask the London team for a move in the January transfer window unless he gets back in the side.

The 32-year-old center back is out of contract at the end of the season and is yet to play under new coach Maurizio Sarri, who has led Chelsea to the top of the Premier League table with five wins from as many matches.

"I don't want to jump the gun, but as things stand at this time, probably, yes (I'll have to leave in January)," Cahill said. "For me to do this all season is going to be very difficult.

"Obviously the most important thing is the club. But I have to look at my situation. I have to take charge of my own future. And if I'm sat doing what I'm doing at this moment in time, I just hope the club will respect that when it comes to the time."

Cahill, who won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012 and the Premier League in 2015 and 2017, retired from England duty last month.

"I'm not a guy who is willing to accept not playing," he said. "Your career's short enough as it is."

Chelsea visit West Ham on Sunday.

Dhaka, Sep 21 (UNB) – Bangladesh maintained the winning spree in their Group ‘F’ qualifier campaign of the AFC U-16 Women’s Championship after routing the UAE by 7-0 goals at Bir Shrestha Shaheed Shipahi Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur on Friday.

Bangladesh took the lead in the game in the 7th minute as forward Shamsunnahar fired the net converting a penalty shot correctly, 1-0.

Another forward Anuching Mogini doubled the lead in the 27th minute by a header connecting a cross from captain Akhi Khatun, 2-0.

Anuching Mogini fired the net again by another header in the 35th minute, utilising a cross from right flank off her twin-sister defender Anai Mogini, 3-0.

Anuching completed her hat-trick, just two minutes later by a back volley found a rebounder off a defender, who tried to clear the cross off Anai, 4-0.

Visiting UAE conceded a same-side goal when midfielder Aalya Humaid tried to clear a corner attempt of Monika in the stop-gap time of the first half, 5-0.

Bangladesh found the next goal in the 71st minute with Anai’s shot from the left side of the box, 6-0.

Substitute forward Mossammat Ilamoni scored the 7th one for Bangladesh in the stop-gap time after the 90s. Ilamoni connected a ball rebounded from the goalie, who tried to clear a header attempt of Akhi Khatun off a cross of Anuching Mogini, 7-0.

After the day’s victory, the host Bangladesh secured all-win nine points from three games as earlier defeated Bahamian and Lebanon by 10-00 and by 8-0 goals respectively.

Despite wins in all three games, Bangladesh yet to confirm the second round berth of the Championship as placing the second in the table below Vietnam.

Madrid, Sep 21 (AP/UNB) — In a familiar scene, Real Madrid fans jumped to their feet and cheered loudly after a superb goal by the No. 7.

Only this time it wasn't Cristiano Ronaldo. The player being celebrated on Wednesday was Mariano Diaz, a 25-year-old forward from the Dominican Republic who had just scored with a beautiful long-range shot in the team's 3-0 win over Roma in the Champions League

The fans started to get excited the moment Diaz was asked to warm up on the sidelines, and it soon got much louder.

"I'm incredibly grateful for how I've been welcomed to the Bernabeu," Diaz said. "I have a lot of respect for all the players who wore the No. 7 jersey in the past. It's not a burden for me."

Diaz, a promising talent from Madrid's youth squad, was re-signed by the club without much fanfare after a season with Lyon. His impressive performance in the few minutes he played in his first match back gave fans plenty of reason to believe Ronaldo won't be missed as much as initially feared.

That was the impression Roma coach Eusebio Di Francesco got after seeing his team get dominated by Madrid.

"This team has a lot of quality. If I were a Madrid fan I wouldn't worry too much about not having Ronaldo," Di Francesco said. "They lost a great champion, but they have many other champions in the squad who can compensate his departure."

There were indeed many signs in Madrid's comfortable win to show that Di Francesco could be right.

Here's a look at why Madrid fans are optimistic about their team's chances of winning a fourth straight European title despite Ronaldo's absence:

SOLID BASE

Despite losing Ronaldo and coach Zinedine Zidane, Madrid faced Roma with 10 starters from the Champions League final against Liverpool.

The defense remained the same, led by veterans Sergio Ramos and Marcelo, and the midfield was still anchored by Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric. The only player who was not in the starting lineup in the final in Ukraine was Gareth Bale, who so far has shown he can be a worthy replacement to Ronaldo. The Wales forward scored his 10th goal in as many matches this season.

"I have a lot of very good players and they have been playing with great attitude," Madrid coach Julen Lopetegui said. "That helps the team keep improving."

ABUNDANT OPTIONS

Madrid did not make any major signings after Ronaldo left but the squad remained filled with talent.

Bale and Diaz are not the only players helping fans forget the Portugal forward. Karim Benzema has also played well this season, scoring with ease and being crucial for the team's new attacking front.

Lopetegui's biggest headache is deciding which Spain attacking midfielder to leave on the bench — Francisco "Isco" Alarcon or Marco Asensio. Both have impressed when they played but only one is getting to start under Lopetegui's tactical formation.

Isco's superb opening goal from a set piece on Wednesday was reminiscent of Ronaldo's remarkable free kicks.

Lopetegui also has Lucas Vazquez as an attacking option, and in goal he is keeping Keylor Navas as a starter even though the club signed Thibaut Courtois, voted the World Cup's best goalkeeper with Belgium.

MODRIC'S FORM

Diaz and Bale weren't the only players loudly cheered in Wednesday's match. Modric also got a standing ovation when he came off near the end, with the crowd calling him the best in the world, just like they often called Ronaldo when he was at the Bernabeu.

"I'm feeling better after having gone through the physical and mental strain of the World Cup," said Modric, who led Croatia to the final in Russia. "I hope to soon be back at the level I was playing last season."

FUTURE STARS

Lopetegui still has the option of bringing up talented Brazilian teenager Vinicius Junior, who has been thriving with the "B'' team after being bought for nearly 45 million euros ($52 million) from Brazilian club Flamengo.

And next year Madrid will likely be able to use another promising Brazilian forward, Rodrygo, who was acquired for nearly the same price as Vinicius from Brazilian team Santos.

Lausanne, Sep 21 (AP/UNB) — Cristiano Ronaldo should learn next Thursday if he is banned from playing at former club Manchester United in the Champions League.

UEFA says its disciplinary panel will judge the case of Ronaldo's first Champions League red card on Sept. 27.

Ronaldo tangled with Valencia's Jeison Murillo, appearing to tug at the defender's hair, in the first half of Juventus' 2-0 win on Wednesday.

The UEFA panel studies all red-card cases and has the power to extend the mandatory one-game ban.

Ronaldo will miss a home game against Young Boys on Oct. 2.

The subsequent game for Juventus is on Oct. 23 at Old Trafford, where Ronaldo played for six years. He won the first of his five Champions League titles while with United in 2008.