Jürgen Klopp believes Liverpool’s bravery, work-rate and desire for a sixth European Cup can compensate for Real Madrid’s greater experience when the sides meet in the Champions League final. Saturday’s contest in Kiev will be Real’s fourth Champions League final in five years, with Zinedine Zidane’s holders aiming to lift the trophy for a third consecutive season. No club has won a hat-trick of European Cups since Bayern Munich in 1974, 75 and 76.

Liverpool’s recent European record pales by comparison but having reached a first final in 11 years with several exhilarating performances and scored a competition record 40 goals en route, their manager is confident his team’s virtues can prove decisive in Ukraine.

Jos Buttler has admitted he is a luxury in England’s re-fitted Test team and that his return will divide opinion. But as the side’s most potent white-ball weapon prepares for a third stab at the longest format, he says the plan this time is to play on instinct.

How Buttler fares in the series with Pakistan that starts at Lord’s on Thursday will make one of the most intriguing subplots during the early Test summer as Joe Root’s side look to return to winning ways after their winter of discontent.

Since the 2018 Giro d’Italia route was announced last November, one day has loomed large: Tuesday 22 May, date of the 34.2km time trial from Trento to Rovereto. With the race delicately poised after a series of mountain-top battles between Lancashire’s Simon Yates and last year’s winner Tom Dumoulin, those expectations look set to be fully justified.

There is an exquisite irony in the focus on a single time trial during a Giro packed with legendary and fearsome ascents: Etna, Gran Sasso, Monte Zoncolan, the Colle delle Finestre and Monte Jafferau. But this time trial always suggested a scenario for the 2018 race which has a simplicity about it which is both brutal and beautiful: Dumoulin will gain time here in spades, so it is up to his rivals to gain it elsewhere.

A slow racing car never looks good, and the current Williams F1 machines resemble a pair of wounded white whales as they lumber round at the tail of this season’s field, outpaced by ravenous sharks and nimble dolphins. You even find yourself half-hoping that some Captain Ahab is going to come along and put them out of their misery.

Two weekends ago their cars could complete the Spanish Grand Prix only 11th and last of the 14 finishers. Yet this is a team who have won the F1 constructors’ championship on no fewer than nine occasions.

• England defence coach taking up new post at Premiership club
• Gustard will replace John Kingston as head coach next month

Harlequins have confirmed the appointment of the England defence coach, Paul Gustard, as their new head of rugby. Gustard, 42, will take up his new post with the Premiership club after England’s tour to South Africa next month.

“Opportunities like this don’t come along very often,” Gustard stated on the Harlequins website. “To be given the chance to lead a club as rich in talent, heritage and support as Harlequins is hugely exciting.

The new Lions coach won’t be subject to any discipline since “the allegations occurred well before Patricia’s affiliation with the NFL.”

The Raptors, essentially, have four significant trade chips, and each of them comes with certain challenges. Here’s what Toronto could see on the trade market this summer.

In the early evening hours on the first day of September, at a ballpark nestled into the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a minor-league baseball legend made history.

The Earl Thomas trade rumors will only get louder as the Seahawks drag their feet on a possible contract extension. Former NFL exec Jeff Diamond breaks down the situation in Seattle.

Stadium quality is among the priorities when the NFL considers sites for future Super Bowl locations, which is why all of the next four Super Bowls will be played in new or recently renovated stadiums.