Sport

The Morning Sports Briefing

Ken Early sees Liverpool’s dreams crushed in Basel, Rory McIlroy ahead of the Irish Open, Sonia O’Sullivan on sticking to the rules and what to watch out for

Sevilla celebrate with their travelling support after the Europa League final win over Liverpool. Photograph: Afp
Sevilla celebrate with their travelling support after the Europa League final win over Liverpool. Photograph: Afp
Thu May 19 2016 - 08:23

Europa League heartbreak for Liverpool

There was Europa League heartbreak for Liverpool last night as they were beaten 3-1 by defending champions Sevilla, who produced a sublime second half performance to lift the trophy for a staggering third year in a row.

Things had started brightly for Jurgen Klopp’s side after Daniel Sturridge’s curled effort gave them a 1-0 lead at half time, but whatever the German said to his troops at interval at St Jakob-Park clearly didn’t have the desired effect as the bullish Kevin Gameiro equalised just 20 seconds from the restart.

A procession then followed as Unai Emery’s side bullied Liverpool across the pitch, and a brace from captain Coke sealed a historic win for his side and ensured there will be no European football on Merseyside next year following Liverpool’s eighth place finish in the league.

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Ken Early was in Basel to witness a painful defeat for Klopp's side: "They don't finish the season with a European trophy. They don't qualify for the Champions League. They are just the team that finished eighth in England..."

Irish Open begins

Today sees the start of the Irish Open at the K Club and tournament host Rory McIlroy is confident he can deliver in his home open for the first time, he said: "I feel very comfortable with where my game is last, and I know that if I got out and played my bets or close to my best, that's I'm going to have a great chance this week."

You will be able to follow all the action from the K Club live across all four days by visiting irishtimes.com/sport.

Sonia O’Sullivan

In her column today Sonia O'Sullivan emphasises the importance of sticking to the rules in sport, she writes: "IAAF president Seb Coe has been talking a lot about restoring faith in the sport and making it more attractive to spectators, not just when it comes to doping. If the basic rules can't be implemented or at least noticed, Coe may have a bit further to go in restoring that integrity."

What to watch out for:

Golf

The Irish Open begins at the K Club today (SS4, RTE 2, 12.30am-6.30pm)

Cricket

The first Test match of the English summer begins as England take on Sri Lanka at Headingley (SS2, 10am onwards)