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• Leeds United 0-1 Southampton: Armstrong sends Saints marching back into Premier League

  Southampton secured an immediate return to the Premier League after Adam Armstrong was the hero in a 1-0 victory over Leeds United in the Championship play-off final.

  Saints' top scorer Armstrong provided the decisive first-half strike at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, with his 24th league goal of the season sending Russell Martin’s side straight back into England's top division.

  The pair had scored a combined 197 goals this campaign, but just the one finish was enough to settle what was only the third second-tier play-off final between two sides relegated the previous year.

  Southampton join Leicester City and Ipswich Town in winning top-flight promotion, while Leeds – who hit the crossbar through Daniel James late on – must prepare for at least another campaign in the Championship.

  Daniel Farke's team settled the quicker of the two sides, who were separated by just three points during the regular season, but with little success in front of goal.

  Archie Gray – the youngest Leeds player to appear at Wembley – drilled just wide early on, while Wilfried Gnonto shot straight at Alex McCarthy.

  However, Southampton struck the all-important opener after 24 minutes, somewhat against the run of play.

  Armstrong beat the offside trap after Ethan Ampadu's mindless charge out from the back, latching onto Will Smallbone’s throughball before neatly slotting past Illan Meslier.

  A shoulder injury forced a distraught David Brooks off soon after but the Saints went close to doubling their lead just before the break as Meslier parried away Armstrong’s drive.

  Crysencio Summerville curled just wide from the edge of the box within four minutes of the restart as Leeds sought an equaliser.

  Substitute James rattled the crossbar with a right-footed effort six minutes from time and was again denied by McCarthy, as Southampton held on to seal their return back to the big time.

  One Armstrong finish, one giant step for Saints

  Southampton were appearing in their first-ever play-off final, and they had lost on eight of their 10 previous visits to Wembley, including each of the last five.

  However, the Saints stopped the rot with a little help from a promotion expert – boss Martin achieved five of them as a player, and this was his third to the top flight overall.

  Armstrong's cool finish proved the difference; his 24 goals this term is the most by a Southampton player in a single season since Rickie Lambert struck 27 in 2011-12 – their last promotion-winning campaign.

  It was also the Saints' 100th – and most important – goal of the season; their first time reaching triple figures since the 2009-10 season under Alan Pardew.

  More play-off pain for Leeds

  Leeds have now appeared in the English Football League play-offs on six occasions, failing to secure promotion in each of those instances.

  The omens did not look good when they fell behind considering not since Cardiff City in 2010 has a team failed to get promoted after opening the scoring in a Championship play-off final.

  It is just over 16 years since their third play-off final disappointment against Doncaster Rovers in League One (May 25, 2008), with Leeds now playing the most such matches without ever gaining promotion.

  Farke also missed the opportunity to become the third manager – after Steve Bruce (four) and Neil Warnock (three) – to win three Premier League promotions, following his Championship-winning campaigns of 2018-19 and 2020-21 with Norwich City.

• Nagelsmann backs Kompany potential as Bayern prepare for shock appointment

  Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann backed Vincent Kompany to succeed at his former club Bayern Munich as expectations grow for the Belgian to take charge in Bavaria.

  The former Manchester City captain, who began his coaching career in Belgium with Anderlecht, oversaw Burnley's relegation from the Premier League in the 2023-24 season.

  Yet Kompany is expected to soon be announced as the new head coach of Bayern.

  The Bundesliga giants parted ways with Thomas Tuchel after a rare season without silverware but Nagelsmann, speaking on Sky Germany, expects Kompany to deliver for the Bavarian side if appointed.

  "I've heard that he's a very good coach with outstanding prospects, and he has had many good coaches who trained him, so he'll do well," said Nagelsmann, whose two-year spell with Bayern ended in 2023.

  "In the end, it's good for the club that they didn't win the championship this time. I don't think it's a bad situation for a young coach who can leave his mark.

  "Who, I think, can change more than if they had won the championship again or been extremely successful."

  Bayern lost their last game of the Bundesliga season to finish third, having failed to win any of the four trophies they were in for, as their German top-flight dominance ended to Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen.

  Alonso, who oversaw Leverkusen's unbeaten league season, had been Bayern's primary target but their former midfielder has elected to stay at Leverkusen next season.

  Kompany would come as a surprise choice but Bayern will hope he can rediscover his magic touch from when guiding the Clarets to promotion, earning 101 points in the process in his first 2022-23 season.

  However, Burnley managed just five wins this term on their way to taking 24 points this season as they finished 19th, going back down alongside Luton Town and Sheffield United.

  The former Belgium international, if appointed, will leave Burnley having managed 96 games, winning 41 (42.7 per cent) of those matches.

• Messi absence forces Martino apology for disappointed Vancouver crowd

  Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez all did not travel for Inter Miami's 2-1 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps, leading head coach Gerardo Martino to apologise.

  The former Barcelona trio were expected to feature for the Eastern Conference leaders on Sunday, but were rested as Martino's side triumphed thanks to goals from Robert Taylor and Leonardo Campana.

  Vancouver's BC Place was expecting a larger than usual home crowd to greet the global superstars, though Whitecaps Axel Schuster apologised once the hosts got wind of Messi's absence.

  With Martino subsequently leaving Messi and his former Blaugrana stars at home, the Miami boss felt it necessary to offer his apologies to the expectant Vancouver crowd.

  "Obviously it is very important for us because of the absences we had," Martino said after the victory that made it 10 unbeaten games for Miami. 

  "The expectation that people have. I really don't think I have to apologise, but in some ways we are very sorry for not being able to travel with our stars.

  "There is a question, we have or have come without our great players. Leo, Luis, Busi, Diego Gomez and still we have competed very well."

  Schuster and the Whitecaps had previously echoed Martino's apologetic sentiment on Thursday when news emerged of their absence.

  "We know that there will also be a lot of disappointed fans," Schuster said in a statement released by Vancouver.

  Disappointment followed on the pitch as Vancouver slipped to six straight MLS matches without victory.