Plea Three: Alassane Plea scored a hat-trick as Ligue 1 leaders Nice made light of Mario Balotelli’s absence to win 4-2 at Metz yesterday. Metz twice came from behind to equalise before Plea, with his third goal of the game, and Wylan Cyprien struck to give unbeaten Nice their eighth win in 10 league games. Balotelli was missing with a thigh injury.

Qatar Fatality: A worker has died in a “work-related fatality” at the site of a 2022 World Cup stadium in Qatar. The incident occurred on Saturday at the Al Wakrah Stadium and is being investigated, Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy said in a statement. About 5,100 construction workers from Nepal, India and Bangladesh are building stadiums in the wealthy Gulf Arab state which has drawn charges by human rights groups of labour abuse.

Kuyt: Feyenoord dropped points in the Eredivisie for the first time this season after a 1-1 draw with rivals Ajax. They needed a late Dirk Kuyt equaliser to cancel out Kasper Dolberg’s opener and rescue a point at De Kuip. The Rotterdam side remain top of the table, five points clear of Ajax in second.

MK Dons: Karl Robinson has been sacked by MK Dons following showdown talks with chairman Pete Winkleman yesterday. Robinson had insisted he would not desert the club after Saturday’s 3-0 home loss to Southend left MK Dons 19th in League One and winless in four matches. Robinson was expected to lead MK Dons into a promotion battle this term, but instead the club have struggled.

China Champs: Defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande claimed their sixth Chinese Super League title in a row after a 1-1 draw with Yanbian Fude yesterday. Paulinho, signed from Tottenham Hotspur last year, gave Guangzhou the lead but they were denied a win when Yoon Bitgaram struck for the visitors. With two games left, manager Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side are an unassailable seven points ahead of second-placed Jiangsu Suning.