Madrid's sports papers hailed their city's dominant football teams the day after Real Madrid set up a second Champions League final in the three years against Atletico Madrid on Thursday.

Real edged a thrilling final in 2014 for their 10th European Cup in Lisbon as Sergio Ramos's injury-time header denied Atletico their first European Cup by sending the game to extra-time before Los Blancos ran out 4-1 winners.

Manchester City's meek exit from the Champions League following Wednesday's 1-0 semi-final second leg defeat by Real Madrid suggested that incoming head coach Pep Guardiola cannot arrive quickly enough.

While Fernando's first-half own goal at the Bernabeu was all that separated the teams, City barely laid a glove on Zinedine Zidane's men, registering just two shots on target over the 180 minutes of the tie.

Red Bull have dumped Daniil Kvyat for the rest of the Formula One season and replaced him with teenage sensation Max Verstappen, the team announced Thursday.

The dramatic demotion comes four days after the Russian driver crashed into Sebastien Vettel's Ferrari twice in front of his home fans at Sochi.

The Cleveland Cavaliers fired a record-setting 25 three pointers as they pummeled the Atlanta Hawks 123-98 to seize a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference playoff series on Wednesday.

Cleveland produced 18 first half three pointers which propelled them to a 74-38 halftime lead. JR Smith led the barrage from beyond the arc with seven overall as 10 Cleveland players made three pointers in the second round postseason game.

China's world-leading transfer splurge has left two teams with red faces after holders Guangzhou Evergrande and Jiangsu Suning crashed out of the AFC Champions League group stage.

Just months after they repeatedly smashed Asia's transfer record to hire top players, the two sides flopped in the regional competition, a route to a coveted FIFA Club World Cup spot.

The influx of asylum seekers into Germany, especially from cricket-mad Pakistan and Afghanistan, has created an unexpected boom for the sport in a country where football has long been king.

Of the 476,649 people who applied for asylum in Germany last year, 31,902 came from Afghanistan alone, with a further 8,472 from Pakistan, which has seen the German Cricket Federation (DCB) flooded with a simple question: "Where can I play?"

Racing their steeds across the endless Mongolian steppe, child jockeys as young as seven dream of glory and riches in a country where horses are a national passion.

Yet rights groups warn of a dark underbelly in the sport -- where vulnerable pre-teens face the risk of crippling injury and harsh treatment or even physical abuse by trainers.

Amir Khan insisted Wednesday he is ready for the fight of his life when he steps up two divisions to take on Mexican world middleweight champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in Las Vegas this weekend.

The British boxer, who normally boxes at welterweight, faces a daunting battle against the hard-hitting Alvarez on Saturday in a fight which many believe is a risk too far for the 29-year-old from Bolton.

Former champion Vincenzo Nibali is counting on his past experience in cycling's Grand Tours when he saddles up on Friday looking to secure a second Giro d'Italia crown.

"It's never easy trying to win a race twice," said Nibali, who claimed his maiden Giro title in 2013 after an epic, snow-hit finale in the Dolomites mountains.

Cristiano Ronaldo lauded the impact made by Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane as the Frenchman led the Spanish giants into the Champions League final with a 1-0 win over Manchester City on Wednesday.

Brazilian midfielder Fernando's first-half own goal was the only difference between the sides over two legs as Real set up a repeat of the 2014 final against local rivals Atletico Madrid in Milan on May 28.