Weekend Recap: Joao Pedro's Brace, All Blacks Demolish Bulls, and More

Joao Pedro was the story at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea beat Real Sociedad 3-1 in a pre-season friendly. The Brazilian scored twice to give the Blues a commanding cushion, with Real Sociedad's reply proving too little, too late. Chelsea came into the match with two wins, a draw, and two defeats from their last five outings — a mirror of Real Sociedad's identical five-game record. The 3-1 result gave Chelsea's camp plenty of encouragement ahead of the competitive season. Full match details here.

Inter edged past Real Betis 1-0 in a tight pre-season friendly at the weekend. A single goal separated the sides, and Inter's near-flawless recent form made them narrow favourites heading in — they had won three and drawn two of their last five matches without a defeat. Real Betis arrived in decent shape themselves, with three wins, a draw, and one loss across their last five. Inter's defensive discipline ultimately proved the difference in a low-scoring affair. Full match details here.

New Zealand hammered the Bulls 50-19 in a Friendly International at the weekend, and the margin told the whole story. The All Blacks arrived carrying a perfect five wins from five in recent outings, and they looked every bit as sharp as that record suggested. The Bulls, by contrast, had managed just one win in their last five and were always up against it against such in-form opposition. New Zealand's 31-point winning margin underlined the gulf between the two sides on the day. Full match details here.

Antigua and Barbuda Falcons turned the Caribbean Premier League standings on their head, beating St Lucia Kings 98-54 at the weekend. The Falcons came in ranked sixth with two points, while the Kings sat second on four points — making Antigua's dominant victory all the more striking. St Lucia's recent form had been shaky, with just one win from their last five, and Antigua had won three of their last five to build momentum. The result was also a notable reversal of the head-to-head pattern: The two sides have met 4 times recently, with St Lucia Kings winning 4 and Antigua and Barbuda Falcons winning 0. The Falcons' big win at the weekend was their first in this fixture in recent memory. Full match details here.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the New York Jets 24-16 at the weekend. The Buccaneers had two wins from their last five coming in, while the Jets were winless across their last five — and that form gap showed on the scoreboard. Tampa Bay's eight-point winning margin was a fair reflection of their superiority over the course of the game. Full match details here.

Canberra Raiders beat Newcastle Knights 25-18 in Round 7 of the NRL Women's competition at the weekend. Canberra came in ranked fifth with eight points, while Newcastle sat seventh on six points — and the Raiders' superior standing proved a fair guide to the outcome. Historically, the head-to-head had favoured Newcastle: The two sides have met 2 times recently, with Newcastle Knights winning 2 and Canberra Raiders winning 0. The Raiders broke that run emphatically, taking the win by seven points to strengthen their position in the standings. Full match details here.

Miami Marlins arrived in Cincinnati carrying strong recent form — four wins from their last five — and the Reds, who had managed just one win in five, were unable to hold them off. Cincinnati won the game 1-0 in a tight contest, though, making it a rare slip for the Marlins. In the NL standings, Miami sat eighth while Cincinnati ranked eleventh, making the Reds' narrow home victory a meaningful result. Full match details here.

St Kilda Football Club ran out convincing winners over Richmond, taking the Australian AFL fixture 94-45 at the weekend. The 49-point margin was a comprehensive beating for a Richmond side that had managed just one win from their last five games. St Kilda came in with two wins and three losses across their last five, and they were the stronger outfit throughout. Full match details here.

Japan beat South Korea 88-68 in a basketball Friendly International at the weekend. The 20-point margin was a comfortable winning margin for the hosts. South Korea had edged ahead in recent form — three wins from five to Japan's two from five — but Japan were the better side on the day and it showed in the final score. Full match details here.