PARIS: Kylian Mbappe came off the bench to rescue a point for France in a 1-1 draw at Austria in the Nations League on Friday, but the defending champion sit s in last place with just two points from three group games.

World Cup winner France are under pressure ahead of Monday night’s must-win home game against Croatia, who won 1-0 at Denmark thanks to Mario Pasalic’s close-range effort midway through the second half.

The Danes top Group 1 with six points, while Austria and Croatia have four.

“We didn’t win, we’ll take this point and try to win on Monday,” Mbappe said. ”You should never be anxious, you should just try to improve.”

Mbappe, who has recovered from a blow to his knee, latched onto a pass from fellow substitute Christopher Nkunku to sprint clear and curl a left-footed shot into the top corner in the 83rd minute for his 27th international goal at the age of just 23.

Four minutes later, Mbappe hit the crossbar after combining with Karim Benzema and Nkunku. France finished strongly with midfielder Matteo Guendouzi having an injury-time effort saved by goalkeeper Patrick Pentz.

“We had so many chances in the second half. We had the control of the game but we weren’t efficient enough,” coach Didier Deschamps said. “These aren’t the results we expected. But obviously we’re not in our best form.”

France looked fragile in the first half, and fell behind when striker Andreas Weimann put former Manchester United interim coach Ralf Rangnick’s side ahead in the 37th minute.

Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate made his France debut in the center of defense. But he was far too static on Austria’s goal, as Marko Arnautovic sent Konrad Laimer skipping on the overlap down the right and his cross was swept in by Weimann.

Karim Benzema, who scored minutes into his international debut against Austria in 2007, earlier had a close-range header superbly saved by Pentz.

Pentz then kept out Benzema’s curler and a shot from Benjamin Pavard as Les Bleus hit back.

Mbappe came on in the 63rd for the ineffective Antoine Griezmann, who has not scored for Atletico Madrid or France since early January.

Only the group winners make it to the Final Four, while the last-placed teams will be relegated. The group winners in the lower leagues will gain promotion.

In the second-tier League B, Manor Solomon scored twice in the second half as Israel rallied to win 2-1 in Albania to lead Group 2.

Armando Broja’s penalty gave the Albanians the lead in first-half injury time, but Shakhtar Donetsk winger Solomon replied with a superb run and shot from the left flank. He clipped the winner in from close range after a cross came in from the right.

In League C, Kazakhstan drew 1-1 in Belarus and lead Group 3 by one point ahead of Slovakia. Winger Vladimir Weiss scored Slovakia’s late winner in a 1-0 win at Azerbaijan

In League D, Group 1 leader Latvia has nine points after winning 4-2 at second-place Moldova for its third straight win.

NORTH BERWICK, Scotland: Xander Schauffele played all the right bounces and made all the key putts until the final two holes Saturday in the Scottish Open and then felt as though he had to settle for a two-shot lead.

Right when he was starting to pull away from the field, Schauffele closed with a pair of bogeys at The Renaissance Club that made it difficult to appreciate an otherwise stellar round. He matched the low score of the windy day with a 4-under 66.

And then he headed straight to the range.

“I had pretty much everything going,” Schauffele said. “I was judging the bounces well and making the putts I needed to and getting up-and-down when I was missing the green. Six birdies through 16, no complaints. And a tough finish.”

Schauffele was at 7-under 203, two ahead of Rafa Cabrera Bello of Spain, who had a 67 and boosted his hopes of getting one of three spots into the British Open next week at St. Andrews.

Jordan Spieth had two eagles on the back nine, one of them with a lob wedge from just over 100 yards on the 15th hole, and had a 66 that put him right in the mix. Spieth was three shots behind in a group that included fellow Texan Ryan Palmer.

Cameron Tringale has been sliding since he opened with a 61 in relatively benign conditions along the Firth of Forth. He went from a three-shot lead to a five-shot deficit. Tringale had an eagle on the third hole and nothing but pars and bogeys the rest of the way for a 74.

Schauffele was dogged for the longest time for not having a PGA Tour title of his own since the start of 2019. He did have an Olympic gold medal from Tokyo last summer, and he partnered with Patrick Cantlay to win the PGA Tour’s team event in New Orleans.

Now the 28-year-old Californian might be hitting his stride. He is coming off a victory two weeks ago at the Travelers Championship, with one eye toward the final major of the year on the Old Course at St. Andrews.

“You see players do it all the time. You get in the good swing of things, start to get comfortable seeing certain shots and seeing certain putts go in,” Schauffele said. “Players always have good stretches and I’m trying to make this one of my best.”

He was ahead by as many as four shots until he tugged his tee shot on the par-3 17th and it rolled down a ridge and off the green. On the tough closing hole into the wind, he pulled his tee shot into the rough, went behind a pair of bunkers and missed a 10-foot par putt.

Schauffele still found some perspective. He thought he was in big trouble on the 11th hole when his tee shot sailed well to the right toward knee-high native grass. Fearing it might be lost, he hit another one. The original shot was found and he wound up making birdie.

“I hit a provisional tee ball on 11 and made birdie. That doesn’t happen too often,” he said.

Cabrera Bello, the former Ryder Cup player from Spain who has fallen to No. 159 in the world, is well aware that three players from the top 10 not already exempt for the British Open will earn a trip to St. Andrews. He’s close enough to Schauffele to think about winning, something he had done only once in the last five years.

Cabrera Bello began the back nine eagle-birdie-birdie-birdie that turned his fortunes and put him in the final group Sunday.

Palmer is also in position to contend and at least get to St. Andrews. It was worth him flying over to Scotland to try to get in the British Open.

“Has not been a great year, but I knew coming in here if I played well and gave myself a chance I could possibly get one of those three spots,” Palmer said. “So I’ve done that. I’m here. And you know, I’m going to go out and try to win this golf tournament.”

It’s crowded at the top if Schauffele falters. Spieth was joined at 4-under 206 by Palmer and Jordan Smith of England, with US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick in the group five behind.

As for the three British Open spots, Rickie Fowler remained in range after a wild finish. He erased a double bogey on the 14th hole by going birdie-eagle, only to bogey the last two. That gave him a 71. He was six shots behind.

NEW YORK: Damian Lillard’s new contract with the Trail Blazers is a point of pride for the six-time All Star who has spent his entire career in Portland.

“I don’t think that you earn something like this just by going out there and scoring a bunch of points,” he said. “Something that’s missing in our league is character, and the fight and the passion and pride about, you know, not just the name on the back, but the name on the front, and how you impact the people that you come in contact with.”

Lillard agreed to a two-year extension through the 2026-27 season. A person with knowledge of the negotiations said the deal is worth $225 million.

Lillard formally signed the extension with his son on his lap and his grandmother watching by phone from Oakland. He spoke at a news conference Saturday evening at the NBA’s summer league in Las Vegas.

Lillard will make about $59 million in 2025-26, then about $63 million the next year, said the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because the extension has not been announced.

He’ll make about $137 million over the next three seasons, before the extension begins.

“There are two kinds of teams: teams that are looking for superstars and teams that are looking for one. We’re lucky enough to have one,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “One who wants to be here.”

Lillard was limited to 29 games this past season because of a core injury that required surgery. The Blazers finished 27-55, their worst record since 2005-06.

While Lillard was sidelined, the team cleaned house, pulling off a number of trades before the February deadline — including sending backcourt teammate CJ McCollum to New Orleans — that got the Blazers under the luxury tax and freed up cap space.

The Blazers then made a series of offseason moves to build around Lillard. Portland acquired Jerami Grant from the Detroit Pistons and signed free agent Gary Payton II, who was key to Golden State’s championship run.

Lillard played with Grant on the gold medal-winning US team at last year’s Tokyo Olympics. Grant averaged 19.2 points in 47 games last season with the Pistons.

Lillard said he believes the team is headed in the right direction.

“I’m as anxious as I’ve ever been to get out there and make something happen,” he said. “I’m in a great space mentally and physically. I’m gonna come into this season comfortable and ready to do me, and do me at the highest level.”

Lillard, who turns 32 on July 15, said that in addition to healing his body over the past several months, he also got a mental break that he believes will make his a better player going forward.

“In my entire career, I haven’t been injured. I’ve had one injury that put me out, and that was when I was in college and I broke my foot. And that was the last time that I got to step away,” he said. “I didn’t recreate myself, I just charged back up and I came back and I was better than I had ever been.”

He has averaged 24.6 points in his career. He was selected as a member of the league’s top 75 players as part of the NBA’s 75th anniversary celebration this past season.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland: Champion Tadej Pogacar said on Saturday he fears COVID-19 could wreak havoc on this year’s Tour de France after the Slovenian tightened his grip on the leader’s yellow jersey after stage eight.

Belgian rider Wout van Aert sprinted to victory in the coronavirus-hit proceedings at Lausanne with Pogacar finishing third.

The peloton left Dole in the Jura region under a cloud after Norwegian Vegard Stake Laengen from Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirates and Frenchman Geoffrey Bouchard of AG2R Citroen tested positive for the virus and were withdrawn.

“It’s a big scare, the pandemic is still there with us, and we can’t risk racing with it,” said the 23-year-old two-time defending champion.

“We get tested every two days or so but Vegard got ill during the night, really, it’s worrying. All the fans packed tight on the roadside and shouting, sometimes you think maybe this is a source.

“He’s the train of our team,” the Slovenian continued of Stake Laengen.

“The big guy who leads us out, but I think we can make it to Paris without him.”

Jumbo-Visma’s van Aert won on a late incline ahead of Australia’s pre-stage favorite Michael Matthews with Pogacar just behind.

This was a second stage win for van Aert, who also came second three times during the opening stages in Denmark, and extends his lead in the sprint standings to 264pts ahead of Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl’s Fabio Jakobsen on 149 and Pogacar, 128.

Van Aert’s chief rival Mathieu van der Poel fell off the back of the peloton before the attack.

“It would have been more prestigious to beat Mathieu too, but I can only beat who is there,” said van Aert, who alongside Pogacar is the big star of this 2022 Tour de France.

Taking a seat Pogacar had just vacated van Aert rigorously drenched his hands in sanitary gel, just stopping short of smearing it on his face.

“It’s never easy to win a bike race, and never easy to win a Tour de France stage, I need to find a way to thank my team for helping me today,” he said.

Pogacar also took a four-second bonus for his third place and extends his overall lead on Jumbo’s Dane Jonas Vingegaard at the top of the rankings to 39 seconds.

After the Covid withdrawals, cowbell ringing roadside fans cheered the pack along the way to the Swiss border where they caught a glimpse of what is to come with the Alps rearing into view on the horizon.

An early fall caught Pogacar and third-placed Geraint Thomas, while French climber Thibaut Pinot not only fell twice but also took a smack on the nose when a roadside food bag distributor got things badly wrong.

Denmark’s Magnus Cort Nielsen of EF Education-Easy Post will ride stage nine in the polka dot jersey again while Tom Pidcock of Ineos will wear the white under-26’s jersey albeit as second placed man behind Pogacar.

Sunday’s ninth stage runs from Aigle to Chatel les Portes du Soleil, an Alpine resort on the French-Swiss border, with more 40km of climbing on the 192km itinerary.

It reaches a high point of 1,778m at the Col de la Croix summit while a 15km, six percent, gradient challenge up the Pas de Morgins awaits any tired legs before the Tour re-enters France for the final 10km.

SHEFFIELD: The Netherlands’ star striker Vivianne Miedema said the holders had to be proud of their reaction to salvage a 1-1 draw against Sweden to start their Euro 2022 campaign on Saturday.

Sweden were looking to exact revenge for their World Cup semifinal exit to the Dutch three years ago and took a deserved lead at halftime through Jonna Andersson’s calm finish.

But the Netherlands hit back to level through Jill Roord’s strike in front a record crowd of 21,342 in Sheffield for a group stage match not involving the host nation at a women’s European Championship.

“If you look at our first 20 minutes we have to be extremely proud to take a point today,” said Miedema.

“Today really showed that we can grow into this tournament.”

A match hyped as one of the biggest clashes of the group stages, got off to a slow start as Sweden suffocated the supply line to Miedema and Lieke Mertens.

The Dutch were also hit by the loss of goalkeeper and captain Sari Van Veenendaal to injury early, but her understudy Daphne Van Domselaar shone on just her second international appearance.

At second in the world, Sweden are the highest ranked team in the tournament and showed why in the first 45 minutes.

Kosovare Asllani fired into the side-netting and Barcelona forward Firdolina Rolfo nearly caught out Van Domselaar with a spectacular attempt from halfway that drifted just over.

Sweden’s pressure was finally rewarded on 35 minutes when Asllani’s trickery opened up the Dutch defense and her cross picked out Andersson at the back post to coolly slot home.

Netherlands’ boss Mark Parsons has been criticized for failing to match the standards set by Sarina Wiegman, since she departed her homeland to take charge of England.

However, Parsons made an impact with his halftime team talk as the holders came out with far more aggression to start the second half and got their reward.

Miedema showed just a glimpse of her ability to change the game in an instant as a dummy allowed her to charge down the left wing.

The Arsenal striker’s pass was deflected by a Swedish defender but only into the path of Roord, who fired into the bottom corner on the turn.

“She’s so skillful, we had to double up on her but those very good players you can’t keep quiet for 90 minutes,” said Sweden boss Peter Gerhardsson at the task of stopping Miedema.

Sweden could still have taken all three points but for Van Domselaar’s flying save to turn Rolfo’s powerful shot behind as stoppage time loomed.

In the other game in Group C, Portugal fought back from conceding twice in the first five minutes to snatch a 2-2 draw against Switzerland in Leigh.

Sweden and the Netherlands remain strong favorites to make the knockout stages, but the Swiss looked set to give themselves a shot with a blistering start as Coumba Sow fired in a fine strike before Rahel Kiwic headed in from a free kick.

Portugal would not even have qualified had it not been for Russia’s expulsion due to the invasion of Ukraine.

But they proved they are not just in England to make up the numbers by scoring twice in seven second half minutes to take a point.

Diana Gomes bundled the ball in on the hour mark and Jessica Silva provided a deft touch to Tatiana Pinto’s cross to level.

“This is Portugal: a Portugal with soul, the fighting spirit,” said Silva.

“The bravery shown was fantastic but unfortunately we couldn’t score more. We have to be happy for what we delivered, reacting well with an incredible second half.”

NEWCASTLE: Newcastle United kicked off their preseason campaign on Saturday with a 5-1 win over Tyneside neighbors Gateshead, during which Paraguay international Miguel Almiron put on a two-goal show.

Matt Ritchie, Joelinton and Sean Longstaff also found the net for the Magpies during the game at their Benton training base, while Paul Blackett grabbed a consolation for the club managed by former United central defender Mike Williamson.

Head coach Eddie Howe said he was delighted with the ruthless display by his players against their National League opposition.

“You always look at your attitude,” he said. “I think both teams wanted to win. We played some really good stuff with the ball and naturally had much of the possession. You saw some excellent counterattacking at the end of the game where we showed a real ruthless side. I just wish we could have shown it sooner.”

Howe fielded two almost entirely different line-ups either side of half time, with only young defender Kell Watts playing the full 90 minutes.

“It was a good workout; hot, but that’s what you want to replicate, what it will be like on that first day,” said Howe. “A tough game, good opposition and 45 minutes (for each player) with a little run at the end — I think the players got what they needed out of it.

“It was just about reintroducing the lads to a full-size pitch. At this stage of the season, eight days in, we didn’t want to push them too much, so this was ideal. At this stage there is always a little bit of rustiness to get out of the players’ game.

“I did think we got better as we went on. Some things we did well, others we didn’t, but there is still a long way to go before that first game of the season.”

Veteran Ritchie opened the scoring for United when he latched onto a low cross from rising star Elliot Anderson, before slotting the ball past Heed keeper Dan Langley, who joined the fifth-tier side from Newcastle last week.

Just after the break, Longstaff was brought down in the area and Brazilian Joelinton, United’s player of the season last season, netted from the spot.

Blackett rounded keeper Karl Darlow to halve the deficit before United stepped on the gas, inspired by livewire Almiron. The forward outpaced the entire Gateshead back line to latch onto an Emil Krafth pass and make it 3-1. He extended the lead from close range soon after, before Longstaff, who missed a second-half penalty, added a fifth at the death.

New boys Sven Botman and Nick Pope did not play any part in the game but watched from the sidelines, as did fellow internationals Bruno Guimaraes, Fabian Schar and Chris Wood. That is unlikely to be the case when when United take on German sides 1860 Munich and Mainz in Austria on July 15 and 18 respectively.

“With those lads, we didn’t want to push them too quickly. We wanted to give them a little more time and be careful with them,” said Howe. “We hope we can keep the majority of the squad fit.

“Austria will be an important time for us. We have a lot of work to cram in during a very short space of time. I think the lads will go there and enjoy the week-to-10 days and when we come back we will be that much further forward.”

In the meantime, Howe was full of praise for the star of Saturday’s show, Almiron.

“Two great goals,” he said. “He showed his athleticism with the first and some composure with the second.

“He hasn’t done a lot of training and we gave him a little longer (break), with the other international players, but physically he didn’t show any problems.”