Liverpool's Darwin Nunez took full advantage of a rare start with the winning goal in his side's 1-0 victory at RB Leipzig as their 100% start in the Champions League continued on Wednesday.

With Diogo Jota ruled out because of injury, Uruguay international Nunez got his chance and delivered in the 27th minute by poking home Mohamed Salah's header.

It proved enough to secure Liverpool's sixth away win out of six in all competitions this season and maintain an excellent start to new manager Arne Slot's reign.

Liverpool are second in the 36-team league phase with nine points, behind only Aston Villa on goal difference.

Leipzig twice had goals disallowed and wasted several other promising moments as their wait for a first point goes on. 

Erling Haaland back-heeled home a stunning strike, the first of two goals on the night for Manchester City's goal-scoring machine, as City cruised past Sparta Prague 5-0 on Wednesday to remain unbeaten in their Champions League campaign.

Phil Foden, John Stones and Matheus Nunes also scored for Pep Guardiola's side who climbed to third in Europe's elite club competition with seven points after three games, while Sparta have four points.

The 24-year-old Foden got the 2023 Champions League winners on the scoreboard in the third minute when he latched on to a pass from Manuel Akanji and slotted the ball into the bottom corner.

Haaland brought the blue-clad City fans out of their seats at Etihad Stadium when he scored in spectacular fashion in the 58th minute, leaping high to backheel home Savinho's cross from out of the air.

Stones padded City's lead in the 64th minute when he leapt to head home from a superb cross from Nunes, and Haaland completed his brace with a more traditional finish four minutes later, easily slotting home a pass from Savinho to put his scoring tally at 44 Champions League goals.

City were awarded a penalty in the 88th minute, for a foul by Ángelo Preciado, and Nunes fired his shot past keeper Peter Vindahl Jensen.

Barcelona captain Raphinha scored a hat-trick to lead them to a commanding 4-1 home victory over Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday, ending a near decade-long winless run against the German powerhouses.

Raphinha's inspired night started when he gave Barca the lead a little over a minute after kickoff as he received a fine pass through by midfielder Fermin Lopez, beat the offside trap before rounding the onrushing Manuel Neuer and tapping into the empty net.

Harry Kane levelled the score with a volley in the 18th minute but Robert Lewandowski put the home side back in front in the 36th minute after a mistake by Bayern's defence and Raphinha extended Barca's lead with two goals from quick counter-attacks either side of halftime.

Barca are ninth in the Champions League standings on six points from three games while Bayern are 23rd on three points after a second consecutive defeat.

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- It did not take Robert Saleh long to find work.

Just over two weeks after being fired by the New York Jets, Saleh was on the Green Bay Packers' practice field Wednesday in a new role.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur, who has credited Saleh for helping him break into the NFL coaching ranks, has enlisted his longtime friend to help with the team.

Saleh spent the early portion of practice watching the offensive side of the ball. Although the former Jets head coach comes from a defensive background, he will work with LaFleur, who calls the offensive plays, and the rest of the offensive staff to offer a defensive perspective.

LaFleur said Saleh will work with the Packers through Thursday this week and called his role "fluid."

Saleh and LaFleur first worked together at Central Michigan University as graduate assistants in 2004. They shared an apartment that had two beds and a kitchen table but no chairs.

In 2008, Saleh convinced then-Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak to bring LaFleur aboard as an offensive assistant. They're so close that LaFleur was the best man in Saleh's wedding. Saleh once hired LaFleur's brother, Mike, to be his offensive coordinator with the Jets from 2021-22.

Out of respect for their friendship, Saleh said during the 2023 offseason, when the Jets were negotiating trade terms with the Packers to acquire Aaron Rodgers, that he and LaFleur agreed not to discuss the quarterback and to let the general managers of each team handle the trade.

Saleh also previously worked with first-year Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, although he won't be assisting on that side of the ball in Green Bay. Hafley was the 49ers defensive backs coach from 2016-2018. Saleh became the 49ers defensive coordinator in 2017 -- a job he held until the Jets hired him in 2021.

Jets owner Woody Johnson fired Saleh on Oct. 8 after a 2-3 start to the season that began with high expectations given the return of Rodgers from torn Achilles tendon in the 2023 opener. Saleh was 20-36 in three-plus seasons and never led to the Jets to a playoff appearance.

The Packers do not play the Jets this season.

This is not the first time LaFleur has made a midseason addition to his staff. In November 2022, he brought in Aubrey Pleasant shortly after he was let go as the defensive backs with the Lions. Pleasant assisted LaFleur and the offensive staff for the rest of that season.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Days before what he considers to be the true grand opening of the Intuit Dome, Steve Ballmer pondered if anything in the LA Clippers' new $2 billion stadium could've turned out better.

"The sinks aren't quite as deep as I wanted them to be," Ballmer said, sitting in his personal lounge just a few steps away from the court. He demonstrated how he likes to shake his hands dry after washing them. "That's where you need a deep sink ... I just don't like it when the bathrooms get wet on the floor."

The richest owner in the NBA spared no expense when designing the NBA's newest arena. No detail was too small for Ballmer, from the amount of toilets in the building to leg space for each seat, to the exact width of entrance doors.

Intuit Dome officially opened on Aug. 15 when musician Bruno Mars took the stage, and other performers such as Billy Joel and Usher have since used the space, which hosted its first Clippers preseason game on Oct. 14. But for Ballmer, those were like dress rehearsals for Wednesday's grand opening.

Two years ago, Ballmer stood in dirt surrounded by the cement skeleton of his future arena and envisioned what it would look like. Now, like a first-time homeowner, Ballmer is excited and a little nervous as he unveils the Clippers' brand-new house in its first regular-season game against the Phoenix Suns (10 p.m. ET on ESPN).

Ballmer's goal is to create a fan experience with the ease and comfort of watching a game at home with the immersive technology only Intuit can provide, and finally give the Clippers a long-awaited home in Los Angeles, along with a world-class practice facility.

But getting the most high-tech arena in the league ready for the season opener has not been easy. It has taken an army of people and there have been some hiccups with the technology early on.

Good thing the former Microsoft CEO has plenty of experience knowing that software can be updated.

"We're going to try to make this the most intimate, exciting place in the world to watch a basketball game," Ballmer told ESPN last week. "And I think we're there. On the 23rd of October when we open, that will be validated.

"I don't want to see [any technological glitches] opening night. I really don't. And I'll probably hold my breath a little. It's like showing your new baby. There's a bunch of things where I'll be worried. But I think most of them will be just fine."

A MASSIVE CROWD filled the plaza outside the front doors of the arena to see Bruno Mars, the historic first event at Intuit Dome.

Typically, that would be a welcome sight for any arena. For the Intuit Dome, however, the standstill was not just because of eager anticipation, but instead caused by technological difficulties that resulted in an almost 40-minute delay to get inside.

Intuit promises fans seamless entrance via facial recognition technology. But as Ballmer explains, the Intuit Dome app, Ticketmaster and the NBA systems have to work together for basketball games and concerts. On this night, there was a third-party software issue before the gates opened, forcing the arena to scan barcodes at the gates.

Intuit Dome had its first technological test. Fortunately, the arena had concerts like this to use as its own preseason.

"It was the longest 38 minutes of my life," said Gillian Zucker, CEO of Halo Sports and Entertainment. "[But] it was one of these things that is the spirit of what Steve talks about all the time. It wasn't as stable, as consistent as we wanted it to be. And every single event we've had, it's gotten better to where it is doing what it's supposed to be doing. That was our goal to have enough events that we could train ourselves to be ready for the opening of basketball."

George Hanna, Intuit Dome's chief technology officer, spearheaded the technology that allows fans to gain access into the venue via GameFace ID, which lets fans walk through the arena's Zoom Thrus without having to pull their phones out to scan tickets. Downloading the Intuit Dome app also gives visitors the option to add a payment method and age verification for alcohol purchase.

"On the Zoom Thrus, we need to continue to improve what I call the latency," Ballmer said. "The length of time they need to register you. We had some real problems in that first night."

Fans who choose not to use facial recognition can instead set up Identity Pass on their profile, which requires phones in hands ready to tap.

If fans have any concerns about opting in, Hanna said the facial information is used for specific transactions such as entering the building, purchasing concessions and access to suites and clubs.

Hanna said about 50% of fans who have attended Intuit Dome events thus far created an account on the Intuit Dome app and enrolled in Game Face ID before they showed up. And he says by the time the event is over, that number increases to nearly 75% for the same population of fans.

By the time Billy Joel was set to take the stage on Oct. 12, fans steadily streamed through the GameFace ID line as if they had TSA PreCheck. The Identity Pass line took longer, but the Dome was packed when Joel sat at his piano.

"That's the nice thing about being software controlled," Ballmer said. "You can continue [to update]."

That optimism was put to the test again last Monday when the arena's Halo board showcased "The Mentalist" -- an interactive guessing game played by buttons on a console at every seat. The first attempt to play stalled, drawing some boos. But by the fourth quarter, the game was up and running.

Zucker and Hanna said there will be a lot more to come from the Halo -- even some things Ballmer hasn't seen yet.

Among some of the features to be revealed will be an intro video unlike any other, complete with an "LA Clippers Theme" composed by Oscar-winning film composer Hans Zimmer. A pregame ritual will be unveiled.

The Halo board will also be able to help coaches decide whether to challenge a play with up to four replay angles visible to the bench in real time. And there could be a surprise Ballmer moment.

"On a scale of one to 100, we're probably at about a 12 of what it's capable of doing," Zucker said of the Halo board. "I think we've got a big bag of tricks. We have really bold ambitions, and throughout the season we'll just continue to see it evolve."

BEFORE THE START of the second half of a preseason game against the Sacramento Kings last Thursday, coach Ty Lue found himself mesmerized by the Halo.

Lue, along with fans, was watching "Enter the Storm" -- a simulation of tumultuous waves to be played before the start of every third quarter on the 38,375 square feet board which engulfs the arena.

"When they had that loud screen with the water and the waves," Lue said. "You can't help but look."

The Halo can look like a video game with different sections providing replays, statistics and analytics like a "Coach's Corner." It can shoot t-shirts out of cannons at the top and measure how loud fans are screaming, utilizing a software that can narrow the audio level down to each individual seat.

The area of the arena that is expected to be the loudest is at The Wall -- 51 uninterrupted rows purposely designed to be steeper than the other side of the court.

Only the most die-hard fans, who go through a vetting process that includes following the team's Instagram and showing that they have attended a Clippers game in the past three years, can be in the first 13 rows of The Wall. It's first-come, first-served and is where fans are expected to stand and chant the entire game like in a student section, just a bounce pass away from the opposing team's bench.

"It's cracking in here," Clippers point guard James Harden said after playing in the first preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks at Intuit.

The Mavericks were the first opponent to visit Intuit. Despite small criticisms, like the lack of trash cans and dim lighting in the coaches room, several Mavericks coaches were in awe of amenities available to opposing teams: A spacious locker room, coaches room and weight room, and even a hydrotherapy pool.

"The locker room area -- Golden State [Chase Center] has what I thought was the nicest, but this is Golden State times 10," one Mavericks assistant said.

"Just everything that coaches want and need, players want ... It's not even close. That's the best arena in the NBA. It was spectacular. Ballmer's doing things that other people aren't going to do to create a great fan experience."

When Ballmer is told about the lack of trash cans in the visitor's locker room, he immediately texts Zucker -- something he often does when an issue needs to be addressed. As for the lighting, Ballmer assures that it wasn't set that way to gain some sort of competitive advantage.

If anything, the amenities at Intuit Dome -- which boasts an 86,000-square-foot state of the art practice facility that includes a pool -- are a perk for the Clippers when it comes to luring future free agents.

"Look, this is not 'Hoosiers' man," Ballmer said of the basketball movie. "These are professional players. They deserve to be treated with respect and I want players, fans, everybody to say, 'Hey, I had a good experience.'"

Ballmer doesn't want fans missing any action. In fact, escalating chimes ring throughout the arena, especially in the bathrooms, with an announcement that there are five minutes before "showtime." There are also 199 clocks all around the arena to let patrons know when action resumes.

Ballmer expects Intuit Dome -- designed to be more intimate and feel like fans are hovering above the action with a capacity of 17,927, compared to the United Center which holds an NBA-high of 20,917 -- to be "beyond full" for the season opener. After that, much will depend on the most important Ballmer investment -- the Clippers' performance on the court.

With Kawhi Leonard out indefinitely as he continues to rehab his right knee and Paul George now in Philadelphia, the Clippers aren't the title contenders they have been the past five seasons. Ballmer knows the fans will let him know what they not only think of Intuit Dome but also about the team's play this season.

"Will it really work? Will the fans really get as energized? Will it accomplish that sort of goal of intimacy and excitement?" Ballmer said. "I think our vision was right, but we won't know until the fans are in the seats ...

"[But] there's clearly one prime product, which is, 'Hey, do we like our team?'"

After being the third tenant at Crypto.com Arena alongside the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Kings, the Clippers and their fans finally have a home of their own. Harden and Lue believe the new arena will make a difference in the Clippers' success this season.

"To come here every day and being able to leave our stuff in our own locker room. And when we have concerts, don't have to worry about coming into the office with chairs and stuff on top of the desk. It just feels good," Lue said.

"Thanks to Mr. Ballmer and Gillian for the work they've done to get us to this moment. Now we got to play hard, good and win games."

Gray would not have been available to face Fiji on 2 November anyway, because that match falls outside of the usual Test window.

But the former Glasgow Warriors and Exeter Chiefs player could have faced South Africa, Portugal, and Australia, while missing just one club match.

"He's come back from a really tough injury and missed almost 18 months," Townsend added.

"But he's played every single game for Bordeaux this season and played well - in big games.

"La Rochelle at the weekend, Toulouse a couple of weeks before. He would have been in really the mix for not just our squad but our matchday 23.

"So it's disappointing both Bordeaux and Jonny think the best thing for him is to rest after two months of rugby - given he's had time off."

Ewan Johnson, Grant Gilchrist, Scott Cummings, Max Williamson, Alex Craig and Alex Samuel are Townsend's second-row options.

Gray's elder brother Richie has likely played his last game for Scotland after being omitted from the squad.

The 35-year-old has signed for Toyota Verblitz in Japan and will join at the end of November.

While the Glasgow lock was available to add to his 79 caps before departing, he has missed recent weeks with injury and Townsend, who praised Gray's stellar international career, has an eye on the future.

"We know Richie is off to Japan and won't be considered by us in the future because the Japanese season runs at the same time as the Six Nations," the head coach explained.

"So there is one eye on the future but there is also an eye on who can help us win these games. And we just felt his form did not merit that over the other guys who will be here for longer."

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Blues forward Robert Thomas will miss at least six weeks with a broken right ankle, the team announced Wednesday.

The Blues put Thomas on injured reserve after he took a puck off the ankle early in the third period of their loss Tuesday night to still-unbeaten Winnipeg. General manager Doug Armstrong said Thomas would be evaluated in six weeks.

Thomas is the latest St. Louis player to get knocked out of the lineup. Defenseman Nick Leddy landed on IR earlier this week because of a lower-body injury.

The Blues opened the season 4-3-0 without Torey Krug and others available. Krug will miss the entire season after undergoing ankle surgery.

St. Louis also this week signed defenseman Jake Neighbours to a two-year extension worth $7.5 million. Neighbours will count $3.75 million against the salary cap for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 NHL seasons.

Utah Hockey Club defensemen Sean Durzi and John Marino will be sidelined multiple months following their respective surgeries, the team announced Wednesday.

Durzi will be out four to six months after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder. He sustained the injury when he was hit by New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler while carrying the puck during the Devils' 3-0 home win Oct. 14.

Durzi, 26, has two assists in four games this season. He is playing on the first season of a four-year, $24 million contract.

Marino, 27, is sidelined three to four months after undergoing surgery on his lower back. He has yet to make his debut after being acquired from the Devils at the 2024 NHL draft in June.

Also Wednesday, defenseman Maveric Lamoureux was recalled from Tucson of the American Hockey League.

Lamoureux, a 2022 first-round pick, could make his NHL debut Thursday when Utah hosts the Colorado Avalanche. The 20-year-old has two goals and one assist in four games with the Roadrunners.

Welcome back to matchday three of the 2024-25 Champions League season! Europe's premier club competition returns in its new format with nine matches across the continent on Wednesday, providing exciting matchups, top talent and drama.

Enjoy the play-by-play from all the games as Barcelona host Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig play Liverpool, Manchester City face Sparta Prague and much more.

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams, who is facing a two-game suspension for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing substances policy, is still practicing and around the team until the league makes a formal announcement.

The league informed Williams of his positive test this week, sources told ESPN, but it has yet to make an official ruling, as he has a window to appeal the decision that allows him to continue to practice.

Coach Dan Campbell said the team is prepared to play without him this week against Tennessee, but he still has faith in the 23-year-old Williams, who was also suspended four games in 2023 for violating the NFL's gambling policy.

"I trust this kid. I trust him. And unfortunately, you've got to pay for your sins," Campbell said Wednesday. "If something happens and this comes down, so be it. But I know this, we dangled the rope down on the way up. We can't wait for anybody.

"And over a year ago, he started climbing his way up and he got to us. And maybe he lost his grip, but he'll climb back up again. That rope's still there. It's tied to us, and he'll be just fine, but he's part of this team and I trust him."

The Lions traded up 20 spots to draft Williams with the 12th overall selection in 2022, and he missed 11 games that season because of a knee injury suffered at Alabama. He is currently No. 2 on the team in receiving yards (361) and touchdowns (3) during a breakout year.

Campbell said he is confident this latest incident won't derail his progress.

"He's matured so much, and I get it, I understand where it's at. I know it can be frustrating," Campbell said. "Look, it's frustrating for us and it's frustrating because I've got to answer these questions and the team is going to have to answer them when they shouldn't have to, but ultimately, he's taken huge strides.

"He's made huge strides, and I recognize that and I think the team recognizes that. So, I think he's going to come back better than he was before."