Nunez helps Liverpool salvage 2-2 draw at Fulham in EPL

New Liverpool signing Darwin Nunez came off the bench to score one goal and set up another Saturday as the Reds salvaged a 2-2 draw at promoted Fulham in the opening round of the Premier League.

Aleksandar Mitrovic put Fulham ahead twice at Craven Cottage as Marco Silva's team threatened a major upset, but Nunez showed just why Liverpool spent big to bring the Uruguay forward in from Benfica this offseason.

Nunez first met a low cross from Mohamed Salah with a deft backheel flick into the top of the net to make it 1-1 in the 64th minute, and then helped his Egyptian teammate net the second equalizer in the 81st. Nunez tried to control a high cross into the box that time but the ball instead fell into the path of Salah, who had a simple tap-in.

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson then came close to an injury-time winner when his curling long-distance shot hit the crossbar.

Mitrovic headed in the opening goal in the first half, rising above Trent Alexander-Arnold at the far post to meet a cross from the right, and then converted a penalty in the 72nd minute after he was brought down by Virgil van Dijk.

Fulham also had a chance to make it 2-0 in the 57th when Neeskens Kebano hit the post with a shot from the right of the area after a quick attack.

"That great chance from Kebano, if he'd scored the second goal the game would be completely different but I really enjoyed (it)," Fulham manager Marco Silva said. "Our first half was almost perfect."

The draw will still count as a setback for Liverpool, which is aiming to wrest back the title after finishing one point behind champion Manchester City last season.

"The start of the game was really bad from us," manager Jürgen Klopp said. "No direction, no positivity, no opening up, no breaking lines, nothing (of) what you have to do."

Klopp had opted against starting Nunez even though the newcomer made quite an impression in preseason and scored in the Community Shield win over City last weekend. Roberto Firmino was preferred instead, but Liverpool's attack clicked into a higher gear once Nunez came on for the Brazilian attacker.

Tottenham recovers to beat Southampton 4-1 in EPL opener

Tottenham recovered quickly from going a goal down and routed Southampton 4-1 in their English Premier League opener Saturday to show the team's new strength in depth.

Attacking duo Harry Kane and Son Heung-min failed to get on the scoresheet, but it was fellow forward Dejan Kulusevski who orchestrated the comeback.

The Sweden international set up the equalizer for Ryan Sessegnon before he slotted the fourth goal himself after the break, following an Eric Dier header and Mohammed Salisu's own goal.

It backed up the growing anticipation around Antonio Conte's side, which has been tipped by many to join champion Manchester City and Liverpool in the title race.

James Ward-Prowse put Saints into an early lead, but the hosts regrouped immediately to start the new campaign in strong fashion, even though none of their six new signings made the starting lineup.

It took 12 minutes for the first legitimate chance to present itself and Southampton took full advantage to open the scoring through Ward-Prowse.

Moussa Djenepo got away from Emerson Royal down the left and chipped back to the edge of the area where Ward-Prowse fired home on the volley, his effort bouncing into the ground and beating Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris.

The hosts trailed for only nine minutes.

After Southampton had dealt with a number of early crosses into the area, they had little answer in the 21st minute when Kulusevski checked back onto his left foot and curled in for Sessegnon,

who leapt above Kyle Walker-Peters to power home the equalizer.

Conte's team completed the turnaround in the 31st through another unlikely source.

Son saw his initial corner cleared but soon received possession back and produced a fine inswinging delivery, which proved perfect for Dier to stoop low and head on into the bottom corner to make it 2-1.

Sessegnon had the ball in the net again immediately after halftime but his finish with his right foot was ruled out due to offside.

Tottenham should have already been two goals to the good with Kane denied by Bazunu before the break and Son wasteful from six yards when he could have passed to his teammate.

While the pair scored 40 goals between them in the league last season, it was Kulusevski who took center stage on this occasion.

The Swede nearly set up Sessegnon again with a delicious pass before the third arrived for the hosts in the 61st.

Emerson led a counterattack and exchanged passes with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Son before his scuffed cross was put through his own net by an offbalance Salisu.

Kulusevski saved the best until last when he latched onto Emerson's cutback, opened up his body and curled into the bottom corner to make it 4-1 and give Spurs a second goal in the space of two minutes.

Conte made a quadruple substitution late on and gave Ivan Perisic, Clement Lenglet and Yves Bissouma their debuts.

Pefok scores on Bundesliga debut as Union beats Hertha 3-1

United States forward Jordan Pefok scored on his Bundesliga debut to help Union Berlin defeat Hertha Berlin 3-1 in their first league game of the season on Saturday.

Pefok, who also scored on his debut in the German Cup on Monday, opened the scoring in the 31st to set Union on its way to a third consecutive win over its rival to keep the unofficial title of "Stadtmeister" (city champion).

Pefok joined from Swiss team Young Boys in the offseason and has already become a fan favorite. He received a standing ovation along with teammate Genki Haraguchi when they were taken off late in the game.

Sheraldo Becker and Robin Knoche also scored to ensure Hertha's difficult start to the season continued after its German Cup exit to second-division Eintracht Braunschweig last weekend. Hertha only barely clinched survival last season and new coach Sandro Schwarz faces a tall order to restore the team's confidence.

Tempers frayed outside before kickoff as road closures led to traffic chaos around Union's Stadion an der Alten Försterei. Most fans were already inside the ground long before kickoff, but the tail backs persevered, upsetting motorists who had nothing to do with the match.

Union made a great start and forced two good chances early on before the visitors had time to recover. But the home team had to wait for Becker to cross for Pefok to get the opener.

The second half began with a cloud of blue smoke from pyrotechnics in the Hertha end. Seconds after the stadium announcer asked the visiting fans to desist, the Union supporters followed suit with a cloud of red smoke at the other end. A giant tifo declared "Once a Unioner, always a Unioner." The stadium announcer's appeals were ignored.

Becker scored in the 50th after combining well with Janik Haberer and the home fans were celebrating again – belatedly – after a VAR check showed no offside when Knoche headed in Christopher Trimmel's corner in the 54th.

Sirens Mecca Marine Exiles (3-3), (2-3), (4-3), (5-2)

For the third time this summer, Sirens Mecca Marine ended on the winning side against Exiles, this time claiming the Għaqda Ġurnalisti Sports Cup. Another battle between these two teams as they offered entertainment to those present but also moments where tension escalated.

The result might not give a clear picture of how the game developed as Exiles were in front for three sessions and till the last minutes, they were 11-11. It was not a happy ending to a long career for Timmy Sullivan as he made his last career appearance.

Exiles led 3-1 midway through the first session, but Sirens scored twice from Jerome Zerafa Gregory and Ken Erdogan in the last minute and a half of the session to draw. Exiles regained the two-goal cushion almost in the middle of the second session until Matthew Sciberras scored late in the session.

Sirens made a bold reaction in the third session as they kept holding on despite Exiles’ determination. Sciberras and Gianni Farrugia responded to Matteo Martellacci’s goal to make it 7-7. Veteran Timmy Sullivan and Max Aquilina gave Exiles again a twogoal advantage and at that time they looked in control.

But Sirens had other plans. First, they cancelled the disadvantage with two goals by the end of the third session and in the beginning of the last session, scored another two goals from Jerome Zerafa Gregory and John Napier to give Marko