Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has revealed that he may still be in interim charge of the club when they face Dundee at Parkhead on Wednesday night in the Scottish Premiership.

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph claims that there has been a delay in finalising the deal to bring Wilfried Nancy to the club from MLS outfit Columbus Crew, which is why the Northern Irishman may still be in the dugout in midweek.

The French boss will surely be keeping close tabs on how the team fared under O’Neill in November, and will already be thinking about how he wants to set the side up moving forward.

The Celtic players who will have impressed Nancy against Hibernian

In the 2-1 win over Hibernian in the Premiership on Sunday, several players showed that they can be key players for the next head coach, whenever he finally takes charge.

Daizen Maeda and Arne Engels are the two obvious ones after they both got on the scoresheet in the first half, with the former tapping into an empty net and the latter bravely burying a header in just seconds later.

Reo Hatate also excelled in a number ten role ahead of Callum McGregor and Engels, biting into the tackle to then set up Maeda for the opening goal.

Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel also made a couple of impressive stops late on in the match to secure all three points, and he will surely be Nancy’s number one, in the short-term at least.

Whilst several players, mainly the ones mentioned here, will have impressed the incoming boss, Nancy may already have an idea of the players he wants to move on when the January transfer window opens up.

The first Celtic player Nancy should sell in January

After a confident first-half showing, academy graduate Colby Donovan was forced off with an injury at the break and replaced by experienced full-back Anthony Ralston.

Within minutes of his introduction, the Scotland international was caught out defensively before playing a poor pass back that went straight out of play on the right touchline.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ live coverage of the game, former Hoops striker Chris Sutton described Ralston’s play as “really sloppy” and claimed that the defender “hasn’t recovered” from his below par showing against St Mirren.

Minutes

72

Tackles won

0

Ground duels won

1/2

Aerial duels won

0/2

Dribbled past

1x

Key passes

0

Crosses attempted

0

In that win over the Saints, as shown in the table above, the Scottish flop lost 75% of his duels and offered virtually nothing to the team from a creative perspective.

His disappointing displays against St Mirren and Hibs in recent weeks have not been a blip, unfortunately, as he also left far too much to be desired from his performance against Midtjylland in the Europa League at the start of November.

Ralston made it far too easy, as shown in the clip above, for Mikel Gogorza to beat him and score, which came just moments after the Spaniard had danced past the defender to cross for the opening goal.

He ultimately left the pitch with 45 touches, nine fewer than goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, while he also failed to have a shot, provide a cross or key pass and he also only made one interception.

Therefore, the 27-year-old dud’s performances on and off the ball this season have not been up to scratch, which is why he may already be a player who could be on the chopping block for Nancy.

With Alistair Johnston to come back from his hamstring injury and Donovan emerging as a genuine first-team level option at right-back, Ralston may not be needed beyond January, as potentially the third-choice option in his position.

That is why the incoming Celtic boss should make the experienced flop the first player he axes at Parkhead when the January transfer window opens for business, whether that is by sending him out on loan or by selling him on a permanent basis.

Forget Maeda: Celtic have signed a star who's worth even more than Engels

Celtic have signed an impressive star who is now worth even more than club-record signing Arne Engels.

ByDan Emery Nov 30, 2025

Whilst you never know who will shine with a clean slate under Nancy, it is hard to look past Ralston as the first player he needs to move on from the squad when the next transfer window rolls around at the turn of the year.

يخوض الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي النصر مواجهة قوية أمام نظيره استقلال دوشنبه، ضمن مباريات دور المجموعات ببطولة دوري أبطال آسيا “2”.

ويحل النصر ضيفا على استقلال دوشنبه في مباراة تقام على ملعب هيسور المركزي، في الجولة الخامسة من بطولة دوري أبطال آسيا “2”.

طالع|فيديو | رونالدو يسجل “هدف عالمي” والنصر يمطر شباك الخليج برباعية ويواصل صدارته للدوري السعودي

ويدخل النصر المباراة من أجل حسم التأهل بشكل رسمي عن المجموعة، إذ يحتل المركز الأول برصيد 12 نقطة ويكفيه التعادل أو الفوز للتأهل.

وعلى الجانب الآخر، فإن استقلال دوشنبه يسعى لاستغلال عاملي الأرض والجمهور لحصد النقاط الثلاث والمنافسة على التواجد بين المتأهلين. موعد مباراة النصر واستقلال دوشنبه في دوري أبطال آسيا “2”

تقام مباراة النصر واستقلال دوشنبه في دوري أبطال آسيا 2، اليوم الأربعاء في تمام الساعة الرابعة إلا الربع بتوقيت القاهرة، الخامسة إلا الربع بتوقيت السعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة النصر واستقلال دوشنبه في دوري أبطال آسيا “2”

تنقل مباراة النصر واستقلال دوشنبه عبر قناة beIN SPORTS HD 2 بتعليق عبدالله الغامدي.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا

Spinners have thrived in Guwahati, taking 33 of the 44 wickets that have fallen at the venue so far in this World Cup

Sruthi Ravindranath09-Oct-20253:00

Amelia Kerr: NZ wary of spin-heavy Bangladesh

Big Picture: NZ under the pumpTwo matches in, New Zealand are already at risk of playing catch-up in the Women’s World Cup. Two brilliant innings from captain Sophie Devine haven’t been able to save them as they lost to Australia and South Africa. That makes them one of two winless teams in this tournament.New Zealand hadn’t played an ODI in six months prior to the World Cup. The rust has shown: before losing to Australia and South Africa, they suffered defeats in their warm-up games against India and India A. Apart from Devine, who has contributed 42% of New Zealand’s runs in the tournament so far, the batters have struggled for fluency and the bowling has lacked bite. Against South Africa, they also let themselves down in the field with seven misfields, a reflection of a team that has looked undercooked.Bangladesh, in contrast, are on the rise. They stunned Pakistan, pushed England hard, and are brimming with belief. Their batting hasn’t quite clicked, but their bowlers have done the job with Marufa Akter consistently striking with the new ball and the spinners keeping a tight leash through the middle overs. With Brooke Halliday the only left-hander in the batting order, New Zealand’s right-hand-heavy line-up could be tested by left-arm spinner Nahida Akter and the legspin duo of Fahima Khatun and Rabeya Khan.They’ve never beaten New Zealand in ODIs, having lost both their completed games by a big margin in 2022. But with spin expected to play a big role in Guwahati on Friday, Bangladesh will be keen to use the conditions to their advantage. Unlike New Zealand, they have already played a game at this venue in the World Cup.Form Guide
Bangladesh LWLLW (last five matches, most recent first)
New Zealand LLWWLSuzie Bates is yet to open her account in this World Cup•ICC via Getty ImagesIn the spotlight: Fahima Khatun and Suzie BatesFahima Khatun was near unplayable against England on Tuesday, returning remarkable figures of 3 for 16. She dismissed Nat Sciver-Brunt, Emma Lamb, and Sophia Dunkley, and celebrated each wicket with her trademark jig. Fahima’s slow, loopy legspin tied England down; she conceded just one boundary in 60 balls. She also had Heather Knight caught at cover, but the low catch was ruled not out by the TV umpire, a pivotal moment that arguably swung the game.New Zealand have missed the runs from Suzie Bates from the top of the order, who will be coming into this match off two consecutive ducks. She struggled to score off her first eight balls against Australia, eventually falling to left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux, while she fell for a golden duck against South Africa to Marizanne Kapp. She will need to find a way to see off a red-hot Marufa, who’s coming off four wickets in two games.Team news: Is Mair fit and ready?Bangladesh are unlikely to change their combination unless there’s a last-minute injury or illness. Marufa, who bowled only five overs against England and was off the field with cramps, is “fit and ready” for Friday’s game, Nahida said at the press conference.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Rubya Haider, 2 Sharmin Akhter, 3 Nigar Sultana (capt & wk), 4 Sobhana Mostary, 5 Mst Ritu Moni, 6 Shorna Akter, 7 Fahima Khatun, 8 Nahida Akter, 9 Rabeya Khan, 10 Marufa Akter, 11 Sanjida Akter MeghlaNew Zealand assistant coach Craig McMillan had said that right-arm quick Rosemary Mair was “close to fitness” before their previous fixture against South Africa. If she’s fit, New Zealand may bring her in for Jess Kerr.New Zealand (probable): 1 Suzie Bates, 2 Georgia Plimmer, 3 Amelia Kerr, 4 Sophie Devine (capt), 5 Brooke Halliday, 6 Maddy Green, 7 Isabella Gaze (wk), 8 Jess Kerr/Rosemary Mair, 9 Lea Tahuhu, 10 Eden Carson, 11 Bree IllingPitch and conditions: Spin to winSpinners have taken 75% of the wickets (33 out of 44 total wickets) in the three matches in Guwahati so far this World Cup. There is a possibility of a rain-interrupted start.Stats and Trivia: Tahuhu gears up for 100th ODINew Zealand fast bowler Lea Tahuhu will be playing her 100th ODI on Friday.Marufa Akter has eight wickets in the powerplay this year, the second most by a bowler in women’s ODIs. Brooke Halliday is 57 runs away from 1000 ODI runs. She will become the 18th New Zealand batter to the feat.Quotes”There has been quite a bit of turn and bounce in the nets, which is exciting for my bowling. But on the other hand with batting, it’s just being really disciplined in the best way to play spin. We know with Bangladesh, they’ve, I think apart from the opening bowler, they’re a spin-heavy attack and they’ve had a lot of teams in trouble as well throughout this tournament we’ve seen. So, I think being really disciplined with the bat, you have to sum up conditions really quickly and then work out what your best game plan is.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Com a conquista do Campeonato Paulista de 2024, Abel Ferreira chegou ao décimo título à frente do comando técnico do Palmeiras e empatou com Osvaldo Brandão como o treinador com mais taças na historia do clube.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras

Neste domingo (7), o Verdão derrotou o Santos por 2 a 0, no Allianz Parque, e chegou ao tricampeonato do torneio estadual. Treinador do clube desde de novembro de 2020, Abel levantou seu primeiro troféu justamente contra o Peixe, na decisão da Copa Libertadores da mesma temporada.

SAIBA OS CINCO TREINADORES COM MAIS TÍTULOS PELO PALMEIRAS

▪️ Abel Ferreira e Osvaldo Brandão – 10 títulos
▪️ Vanderlei Luxemburgo – 8 títulos
▪️ Ventura Cambon – 7 títulos
▪️ Luiz Felipe Scolari – 6 títulos
▪️ Humberto Cabelli – 4 títulos

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Ao todo, Abel disputou 14 finais pelo Palmeiras e faturou oito delas. Com contrato renovado até dezembro de 2025, o português terá diversas oportunidades para se isolar na liderança da lista de maiores vencedores. Neste ano, o Verdão ainda disputa a Libertadores, Copa do Brasil e Campeonato Brasileiro.

VEJA TODOS OS TÍTULOS DE ABEL FERREIRA PELO PALMEIRAS

🏆 Copa Libertadores: 2020 e 2021
🏆 Copa do Brasil: 2020
🏆 Campeonato Brasileiro: 2022 e 2023
🏆 Recopa Sul-Americana: 2022
🏆 Campeonato Paulista: 2022, 2023 e 2024
🏆 Supercopa do Brasil: 2023

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Tudo sobre

Abel FerreiraFutebol NacionalPalmeiras

A ridiculous four-goal showing from Kylian Mbappe led an otherwise shaky Real Madrid to a 4-3 win over Olympiacos in the Champions League on Wednesday evening. The Frenchman continued his outrageous run of form, while Vinicius Jr eased tensions after a week of controversy by grabbing an assist to carry Los Blancos to a much-needed European victory against a dogged opponent.

It was a miserable start for Los Blancos. They struggled to create in the early stages, and Olympiacos capitalised. Their opening goal was a wonderful thing, as Chiquinho crashed home from 20 yards after a fine team move. 

But the Madrid response was absurd, as their French superstar netted a seven-minute hat-trick. Mbappe scored his first after 22 minutes, running onto a ridiculous trivela pass from Vinicius and finishing through the keeper's legs. He added a second with a fine header, and a third with a simple run in behind the defence and pass into the bottom corner. 

And then they started to pile on. Vinicius might have made it four after 30 minutes – a much-needed moment after a week of controversy. But his fine effort was ruled out for an offside in the build-up. Olympiacos offered a response in the second half, though. A simple cross floated between Madrid's centre-backs was all they needed when Mehdi Taremi rose to nod into the bottom corner. The Greeks almost had another soon after, but reserve goalkeeper Andriy Lunin produced an impressive stop.

Mbappe gave Los Blancos daylight, though. Vinicius, in truth, did most of the work, with a lovely winding run down the left. Mbappe only had to convert his cut-back. Olympiacos showed some fight. They bagged a much-deserved third after applying plenty of pressure, and peppered the Madrid goal in the latter stages. However, Los Blancos held on to secure all three points. 

GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

Andriy Lunin (7/10):

Could do nothing about the excellent opening goal, and was pretty helpless for the other two, as well. Made some important saves in between. 

Trent Alexander-Arnold (6/10):

A very 'Trent' performance. Pinged a few passes that few other footballers can even see, but was also truly woeful in his one-on-ones. 

Raul Asencio (6/10):

Lost his man to allow Olympiacos to grab a second, and was a bit erratic at times.

Alvaro Carreras (5/10):

Doesn't quite look comfortable at centre-back, in truth. Made a couple of mistakes, and didn't connect with the midfield too well. 

Ferland Mendy (6/10):

A return after injury, and a game in which he struggled. Could have closed down the cross before the Olympiacos second.

AdvertisementGettyMidfield

Aurelien Tchouameni (7/10):

Missing on the Olympiacos opener, when he really should have been shielding in front of the back four. But was otherwise solid, winning his tackles and moving the ball.

Eduardo Camavinga (7/10):

Full of energy in midfield, and played some key link-up passes, too. Removed at the half in what was likely a planned sub. 

Arda Guler (7/10):

Assisted the second Madrid goal, created a few chances, and was useful on the ball. A solid hour.

GettyAttack

Federico Valverde (7/10):

Ran a lot and offered an attacking outlet, but was mostly moving to open up space for others. A typically selfless showing. 

Kylian Mbappe (10/10):

Scored twice in the space of two minutes to bring Madrid back into it. Added another three minutes later and added a fourth in the second half. He's in ridiculous form.

Vinicius Jr (9/10):

Looked to rebound after a week in which he told Madrid he won't pen a new contract. Assisted Mbappe's first with a sublime pass. Set up the Frenchman's fourth, too. A fine showing to answer the critics.

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GettySubs & Manager

Dani Ceballos (6/10):

Brought on for midfield control, which he didn't really offer much of.

Jude Bellingham (6/10):

Ran around, carried the ball effectively, linked up play, but lacked a bit of end product. 

Brahim Diaz (6/10):

A puzzling introduction, especially with Asencio taken off. On the ball here and there but not particularly involved. 

Fran Garcia (N/A):

No time to make an impact. 

Xabi Alonso (7/10):

Needed a lift after being criticised of late. Got his win, even if Madrid are incredibly unreliable. Will take the three points, but concerns remain.

Big picture – High stakes for India

People selling replica jerseys outside a stadium is one of the signs that a big game is coming up. Outside Holkar Stadium in Indore, vendors selling caps, flags and jerseys with “Smriti 18” and “Harman 23” among others, were spotted as early as Friday afternoon, a full two days before the India vs England match of the Women’s World Cup 2025.India must win this contest to avoid making their next two games a knockout. They go into it on the back of successive defeats to Australia and South Africa, with just four points in four games. England, on the other hand, are yet to lose a match in this tournament (although Pakistan did give them a mighty fright)India have had a week-long break since their last match. After they reached Indore on Monday, they had one day off when they went to Ujjain and attended full-tilt training sessions on Wednesday and Friday. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana opted to train on optional days in between as well.Related

• Edwards 'disappointed' but not 'concerned' by England's batting

• Harmanpreet and Sciver-Brunt – fire, ice, and a touch of MI at the World Cup

• Powerplay podcast – England and India set for Super Sunday clash

• India need to fix flaws ahead of tougher challenges in World Cup

• TV umpiring slip-ups come under the scanner at Women's World Cup

Going by the intensity and the meticulousness of their practice, India are aware of how big this game is with only two of the four semi-final spots still up for grabs. But their recent record against England should act as a confidence-booster. Since the 2022 World Cup, India have won five of the six ODIs the two sides have played against each other.Under the new leadership of head coach Charlotte Edwards and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, England have punched above pre-tournament expectations. Their spinners have picked up 24 of the 30 wickets the team has at this World Cup. The batting though remains a problem with only Heather Knight and Sciver-Brunt showing the kind of mettle needed to win these events.England’s batters have not coped with conditions at the World Cup as well as the bowlers have•ICC/Getty Images

Still “if someone had said to me a few weeks ago, we’d be in the position we are in, having been unbeaten, I would have taken it,” Edwards said on Saturday. “Our best cricket is in front of us. These are the occasions you want to play or be a part of as a player and as a coaching staff.”A sellout crowd in Indore is about to be treated to a high-profile game with lots of jeopardy.

Form guide

India LLWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
England WWWLW

In the spotlight – Mandhana and Harmanpreet vs Smith and Ecclestone

In this World Cup so far, India have lost 15 wickets to left-arm spin. That is the most by any team. They have also faced the most overs against this style of bowling. And England have two left-arm spinners in Sophie Ecclestone and Linsey Smith.Ecclestone has dismissed Smriti Mandhana four times in 12 innings while Smith dismissed her in the rain-affected ODI at Lord’s in July. Harmanpreet has also fallen three times in ten innings to Ecclestone and once to Smith.Some of these numbers may stem from India’s preference to attack left-arm spin (5.01 runs per over). Only England (5.44) and Australia (5.25) have scored quicker against this type of bowling since 2023. However, those two teams appear to be managing the risks that come with this kind of aggression better. Australia (45.63) and England (37.19) average much higher than India (27.79)One of the India top order’s focus in their training on Friday was hitting with the spin and using their feet. A delicious contest awaits us on Sunday.

Team news – Renuka in for India?

There were questions raised about the absence of the sixth-bowling option after India’s defeats to South Africa and Australia. But they are set to go into Sunday’s clash with the same balance, with Harmanpreet chipping in with a few overs if needed. India could also bring in Renuka Singh for Amanjot Kaur, who did not train on each of the two days before the game.India (possible XI): 1 Smriti Mandhana, 2 Pratika Rawal, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Jemimah Rodrigues, 6 Richa Ghosh (wk), 7 Deepti Sharma, 8 Sneh Rana, 9 Kranti Gaud, 10 Shree Charani, 11 Renuka SinghBoth Ecclestone and Lauren Bell have recovered from the illness that ruled them out of the Pakistan game and are available for selection. So expect them to slot back into place ahead of Sarah Glenn and Em Arlott.England (possible XI): 1 Tammy Beaumont, 2 Amy Jones (wk), 3 Heather Knight, 4 Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), 5 Sophia Dunkley, 6 Alice Capsey, 7 Emma Lamb, 8 Charlie Dean, 9 Sophie Ecclestone, 10 Linsey Smith, 11 Lauren Bell2:41

Edwards: ‘Ecclestone is bowling as well as I’ve seen’

Pitch and conditions – Red-soil pitch

The game will be played on a red-soil pitch, which tend to have bounce and carry. This will be a fresh pitch as well and given the 13-day gap between games in Indore, the curator has had enough time to prepare it. The surface had a greenish look to it two days out but on match eve, a lot of the grass was shaved off.The weather on Sunday is expected to be hot and humid. No rain is in forecast, although it did drizzle a little on Friday and Saturday. Expect a high-scoring contest.

Stats and trivia: Deepti eyes 150 ODI wickets

• Since the 2022 World Cup, no player has scored more ODI runs against England than Harmanpreet’s 347. She has hit two centuries and a fifty in this period. Mandhana is third on the list with 296 runs
• Deepti Sharma is just one wicket away from being just the second Indian bowler with 150.
• Deepti has dismissed Sciver-Brunt four times in 12 ODI innings. Only Jess Jonassen and Afy Fletcher have dismissed her more often (five times)
• Mithali Raj is currently the only Indian with 1000 ODI runs against England; Harmanpreet and Mandhana are 45 and 58 runs away from the mark
• Since 2024, Tammy Beaumont has been especially vulnerable to dismissals inside the first 10 overs of an ODI. She’s been out 12 times in this period – same as Mandhana and Alyssa Healy – but her average (36.25) and strike rate (81.61) are the lowest among the three. Beaumont also averages 19.29 in 29 matches against India, much lower than her ODI career average of 40.69.

Quotes

“It is not that if we lost, we should keep talking about that game. Even before that we played a lot of good games. Had we won [against Australia], our small errors would not have been magnified like this. We have trust in our team and are backing everyone.”
“We’ve been lucky to have played a lot against India in the last 12 months. But this is a one-off game in a World Cup in India. A massive game which we are looking forward to and we will be preparing for it like any other game. We know the threats of India but equally we have got some wonderful players in our group.”

Barcelona’s Champions League hopes took another hit after a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, worsened by Ronald Araujo’s first-half red card that left the Catalans battling with 10 men for most of the game. Hansi Flick admitted the sending-off was avoidable and vowed to review the incident with his captain as pressure mounts on Barca amid their poor European form.

• Araujo’s red card leaves Barca with uphill battle

  Barcelona’s trip to Stamford Bridge quickly turned into a nightmare as Flick’s side were reduced to 10 men in the first half, eventually falling 3-0 to Chelsea. The Catalans had started brightly, creating early chances through Ferran Torres, but their momentum collapsed the moment Araujo received two bookings – the first for dissent, the second for a heavy challenge on Marc Cucurella just before the end of the first half.

  The dismissal forced Barcelona into damage-control mode, leaving them outnumbered for over an hour in a must-win Champions League tie. Flick did not hide his frustration post-match, admitting the defender “shouldn’t have gone in like that” and that the red card fundamentally changed the game’s dynamic. That set the stage for the German coach to share his wider assessment of a disappointing night.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Flick’s frustration over Araujo and the team’s display

  In the post match press conference Flick made it clear he believed the Uruguayan's dismissal was avoidable, while also reflecting on Barca’s struggle to compete a man down.

  "I don't know what happened with the first yellow card," the German said. "I have to talk to him and see the videos, and the second one shouldn't have gone in like that. But these things happen in football. It wasn't the right time or the right play, but that's how it was."

  He then expanded on the team’s overall performance in London: "It's just one game. We started well, with good chances, from Ferran, and then with one less player it became very difficult. We didn't have the necessary intensity, but I'm positive about the future." 

  "It's not easy to win against this team, Chelsea, with one less player. But I'm positive about the upcoming matches. We have three games left and I'm confident we can win them. But today we made some mistakes, we didn't keep possession, some players made errors… Today it wasn't enough, but there are positives: Raphinha is back, Marcus is playing well… we have to be positive. If you analyze the game, you have to see that we played with one less player and that has a big impact. You play better with one more player. For Chelsea, playing against ten is a huge advantage."

• Champions League qualification hangs by a thread

  Barcelona’s European campaign is now in a precarious position. With just two wins from five Champions League group games and sitting 16th in the table with seven points, the Catalans must win their remaining fixtures against Eintracht Frankfurt, Slavia Prague and Copenhagen to have a realistic chance of going straight through to the round of 16 without having to navigate the knockout play-off.

  Flick acknowledged the challenge, stressing that qualification remains possible but only if the team drastically improves their aggression and intensity. "It will be very difficult to finish in the top eight, but anything is possible. We need to play aggressively. We've seen a more dynamic Chelsea, and that's what I want from my team. We have to fight harder and play more aggressively," he said.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Flick promises a response as Barca look to rebound

  Despite the setback, Flick ended the night with an optimistic tone, insisting that Barcelona’s level will rise in the coming weeks. With La Liga fixture against Alaves up next and Champions League qualification on the line, the pressure is growing but the coach remains defiant. "We'll see a different Barca, I can promise you that. I see how we train, the intensity and the quality, and it's different from a few weeks ago… I have a good feeling about it." 

  The Blaugrana sit second in La Liga, a point behind Real Madrid, but must now juggle domestic ambitions with the crucial European mission ahead. All eyes turn to the Camp Nou this weekend, where Flick hopes a convincing performance can reset their trajectory.

Amid an abysmal offensive start, the Texas Rangers are turning to a former player who knows hitting well.

The Rangers are hiring ex-MLB second baseman Bret Boone as their hitting coach, the team announced on Monday afternoon.

Boone, 56, played 14 seasons with five teams. He is primarily known for his two stints with the Seattle Mariners, and particularly for his performance in 2001—when he slashed .331/.372/.578 with 37 home runs and 141 RBIs.

Texas will task Boone with turning around an offense slashing .228/.285/.359; its batting average and on-base percentage would both rank in the bottom 10 in the franchise's six-decade history.

Boone is a member of a prominent baseball family; his brother Aaron manages the New York Yankees, while is father Bob and grandfather Ray were both also MLB All-Stars.

The Rangers are currently 17-18, four games behind the first-place Seattle Mariners in the American League West race. Texas is scheduled to open a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox Tuesday.

As Sabrina Ionescu tried to help the New York Liberty stay undefeated in the regular season and win their second Commissioner's Cup game, she set a franchise record along the way.

She entered Thursday night's game against the Washington Mystics at 399 career three-pointers—one short of a milestone three that would also tie her for the most in Liberty history. Two minutes into the game, she made the 400th three-point field goal of her career, tying Crystal Robinson for the most in a Liberty uniform. Four minutes later, she broke the tie on a fast break off a dish from Natasha Cloud.

Here are both record-setting treys in order:

Robinson's record has stood for 20 years—she played for the Liberty from 1999 to '05. New York is one of just three original WNBA franchises (Los Angeles Sparks and Phoenix Mercury) that remain active in their original location.

According to the team, Ionescu also became the fastest player in WNBA history to make 400 three-pointers. She reached the feat in her 151st career game, beating the record previously set by the league's all-time leading scorer Diana Taurasi by seven games.

Through seven games this season, Ionescu is averaging 17.9 points, 4.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting 35.7% from three on eight attempts each contest. Now, she can widen the gap as the Liberty's leading three-point shooter.

Newcastle United have now reportedly set their sights on signing a Ligue midfielder if they fail in their pursuit to welcome young star Kees Smit in 2026.

Newcastle set to make Kees Smit move

It’s a fairly open secret that Newcastle are after a midfield reinforcement in 2026. The trio of Joelinton, Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali is undoubtedly impressive, but as Joelinton continues to struggle, Eddie Howe could certainly do with some quality in depth to make a change.

Names like Alex Toth have emerged on the Magpies’ radar in recent months as a result, though it seems like Smit remains top of their midfield shortlist.

Reports have even claimed that Newcastle are set to make their move to sign the AZ Alkmaar star, despite competition from the likes of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Such interest could hand those at St James’ Park some fresh Déjà vu after missing out on several big names in the summer. It’s only now that Howe is beginning to get his full squad together following the chaos of the summer window and instant injury to Yoane Wissa.

The Newcastle boss welcomed his forward into the squad for the first time on Saturday, telling reporters: “He’s got a lot more work to do to get to the very best level that he can. We hope to keep him available by managing correctly.

He once cost £38.5m: Newcastle plot concrete move to sign "brilliant" PL star

He desperately needs a move.

ByTom Cunningham Dec 7, 2025

With Wissa back, the Magpies and their manager can turn their full attention towards avoiding a repeat of the summer chaos even if they miss out on Smit.

Newcastle eyeing move to sign Kevin Danois

According to the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, Newcastle have now set their sights on signing Kevin Danois if they fail to sign Smit in 2026. The AJ Auxerre midfielder has emerged as an ideal alternative as the Tyneside club continue to plan ahead.

Compared to Joao Neves and dubbed “intelligent” by Como scout Ben Mattinson, Newcastle would be wise to instantly move for Danois if they miss out on their Smit next year.

The Magpies have seemingly learned from last summer and have identified a cheaper alternative who is yet to attract the same intense interest as their main target. Whether they’re forced to turn towards the Ligue 1 star remains to be seen, however.

Newcastle star was entering Obertan territory, now he's their "best player"