Rio Hondo Prep in Arcadia is like “The Little Engine That Could.” The Kares are 13-0 and set to play for a 17th Southern Section football title on Saturday night despite having a student body of only 150, of which 82 are boys. Their opponent in the Division 5 final is host Redondo Union, which has a student body of nearly 3,000.
Coach Mark Carson said he embraces the challenge of his team moving up, from winning Division 9 two years ago to winning Division 7 last season after years of competing in Division XIII under old playoff systems based on size, geography and past performance. Now a computer algorithm decides divisional placement. The school has grades seven through 12, so Carson starts training players in middle school with the same offense through high school.
“The key is we have a great middle school tackle football program,” he said.
Every boy in the school knows they’re going to play football or work in the program as a manager. Many are multiple-sport athletes. The chemistry and knowledge they build together is apparent on the football field.
“We don’t really pay attention to numbers on the other team,” Carson said.
Quarterback Yanick Diaz said he has been with some of his teammates since kindergarten. They trust each other.
“I’ve known some of these guys for 15, 16 years,” Diaz said. “It’s still 11 versus 11. I’ll take my 11 over yours.”
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].
The official head coach for Crenshaw High’s football team remains Robert Garrett even though he’s been barred from attending games on Los Angeles Unified School District property since Aug. 21, when he was placed on administrative leave.
His long-time assistant and Crenshaw grad, Terrence Whitehead, took over as interim coach the week before the opening game. He and assistants trained by Garrett since they were adolescents have the Cougars at 10-1 and playing for the City Section Open Division title against top-seeded Carson at 6 p.m. Saturday at L.A. Southwest College.
“I think he’s doing an outstanding job from where he’s been put,” Garrett said.
Garrett said it’s no surprise what Crenshaw has accomplished with 14 of 18 players returning from a team last season that lost by a single point in the opening round of the Division I playoffs to No. 1-seeded Eagle Rock. Add standout linebacker De’Andre Kirkpatrick to that group along with others and you have Crenshaw seeking its seventh City title.
“My thoughts are you win ballgames from January through July when you meet daily and go over fundamentals, skills and get bigger, stronger and faster. You win it in the weight room,” Garrett said.
Garrett said he has spoken to Whitehead weekly and seen games that were streamed. But he has no intention of attending Saturday’s game.
Crenshaw coach Robert Garrett has been on administrative leave since August.
(Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
“I’ll be sitting in front of a TV watching USC versus UCLA,” he said.
Garrett praised Kirkpatrick, a transfer from eight-man power Animo Robinson who he met last spring and summer.
“He’s by far a Division I player,” he said of the 6-foot-3, 225-pound junior. “You can’t coach size. He has good attitude. Doesn’t cuss, doesn’t fuss and doesn’t hang out. It doesn’t come from me or anyone coaching him. All we can do is motivate him and encourage him to do better.”
To say Garrett is fed up with LAUSD is an understatement. There has been no celebration of the greatest achievement by a football coach in City Section history. Crenshaw’s 10 wins give him 300 career victories since 1988, which puts him in Hall of Fame territory.
“I’m going to coach somewhere, somehow,” he said. “I was born to coach. I’m a helluva coach. Nobody gave me that and nobody can take it away.”
Garrett said he has never been told what is being investigated the last four months.
“I’m going to coach again. I’m going to get out of the house real soon because I’m an American citizen,” he said.
He continues to receive full pay while staying home and waiting to be cleared. Once LAUSD starts an investigation, it can last more than a year. Former Huntington Park basketball coach Joe Reed returned this year after 14 months on administrative leave after a parental complaint.
“I haven’t been told anything,” Garrett said. “All I’ve been told is we’re investigating. It doesn’t matter what happens because whatever they tell me what they are investigating, they will find no wrongdoing whatsoever.”
Garrett is writing a book. He said he was the first from his Jefferson High graduating class of 1977 to earn a college degree. His mother was one of 18 siblings and each one had six or more kids. He graduated from Nebraska’s Concordia University in 1981 with a focus on teaching and has a Lutheran teaching certificate. He could be a pastor if he wanted to.
“I’m not a coach, I’m an educator,” he said. “I’m the first in my family to get a college degree. You don’t know what I’ve been through and what I’ve seen.”
He offered words of wisdom for Thanksgiving: “Always do thy duty, which is best, leave unto the Lord the rest.”
You’ve heard the line, “Win one for the Gipper.” Now it’s, “Win one for The G Man.”
Who: Arsenal vs Bayern Munich What: Matchday 5, League Phase, UEFA Champions League Where: Emirates Stadium, North London, England, UK When: Wednesday at 8pm (20:00 GMT) How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT in advance of our text commentary stream.
English Premier League leaders Arsenal host the German Bundesliga’s top-ranked team Bayern Munich in a heavyweight UEFA Champions League (UCL) matchup of the two frontrunning European mega clubs on Wednesday.
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The sides are also ranked No 1 and No 2 in the current UCL standings, with both clubs protecting perfect records in the League Phase of the competition.
Here is all to know ahead of their top of the table clash at Emirates Stadium:
Who have Arsenal and Bayern Munich beaten so far in the UCL League Phase?
After four matchdays in the League Phase, Bayern Munich sits top of the standings with four wins and a maximum 12 points against Chelsea (3-0), Pafos (5-1), Club Brugge (4-0) and most recently, a victory over reigning UCL champions Paris Saint-Germain (2-1) away in France on November 4.
Arsenal is second on the table, equal with their German rival on points (12) and goal difference (+11). Their four wins have come against Athletic Bilbao (2-0), Olympiacos (2-0), Atletico Madrid (4-0) and Slavia Praha (3-0).
The only other team remaining in the competition with a perfect 4-0 record is Inter Milan.
Will Odegaard play against Bayern Munich?
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is a strong possibility to play against Bayern Munich in what would be his first match since injuring his knee in early October.
The Norwegian midfielder participated in training on Tuesday afternoon and is expected to be in the squad.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta confirmed Odegaard is under consideration for Wednesday’s fixture.
“He [Odegaard] was very close for the previous game. We are hopeful that tomorrow [Wednesday] he can be in the squad as well.”
Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard during training at the Arsenal Training Centre, London Colney, UK on November 25, 2025 [Peter Cziborra/Action Images via Reuters]
Where did Arsenal and Bayern Munich finish in last season’s Champions League?
The Gunners reached the semifinals of the Champions League for the first time since 2008–09, upsetting Real Madrid in the quarterfinals (5-1 on aggregate) before losing to eventual champion Paris Saint-Germain.
Bayern Munich’s UCL campaign came to an end at the quarterfinal stage with a closely contested defeat to Inter Milan (4-3 on aggregate).
Form guide: last five matches
Arsenal: W-W-W-D-W (Premier League, most recent result last)
Bayern Munich: W-W-W-D-W (Bundesliga, most recent result last)
Head-to-head: Arsenal-Bayern Munich
The sides last played on April 17, 2024, with Joshua Kimmich’s 63rd-minute header handing Bayern Munich a 1-0 quarterfinal victory (3-2 on aggregate) over Arsenal in the Champions League, sending the Germans through to the last-four of the 2023-24 competition.
In total, the sides have played against each other 14 times, with Bayern dominating the historical matchup:
Bayern Munich – 8 wins
Arsenal – 3 wins
Draws – 3
Arsenal’s team news
Arsenal will line up against Bayern without a recognised striker, with Kai Havertz (knee) and Viktor Gyokeres (hamstring) still rehabbing injuries.
Gabriel Jesus will also be held back from the Champions League fixture, although the Brazilian forward is back in full training after undergoing knee surgery.
“He is quite close, to be fair, and earlier than we expected,” Arteta said.
“In the next few days, he is going to have another step to make with a game that we are going to organise for him. After that, he is just going to be knocking on the door.
Kimmich, the player who buried Arsenal the last time they played back in 2024, was a question mark at the beginning of the week after sustaining a knock picked up during the FIFA international break, but is believed to be ready to play on Wednesday.
Explosive winger Luis Diaz is suspended for the Arsenal clash. The Colombian might be replaced by rising 17-year-old star Lennart Karl, who became Bayern’s youngest-ever Champions League scorer when he started against Brugge on October 22.
Injured duo Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies will be unavailable for selection.
Bayern manager Vincent Kompany will again lead the line with English international Harry Kane, who returns to his home city of London for this fixture.
Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane, centre, and Nicolas Jackson, second from right, during training at the Bayern Munich Training centre in Munich, Germany, on November 25, 2025 [Angelika Warmuth/Reuters]
FIFA Club World Cup champions Chelsea of the English Premier League beat Spain’s Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League.
Published On 25 Nov 202525 Nov 2025
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Defensive lapses cost Barcelona and Manchester City dearly as both teams slumped to notable losses in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Chelsea comfortably beat 10-man Barcelona 3-0 to earn its third league-phase win and move closer to the top.
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It was the second loss for Barcelona, which went down a man after defender Ronald Araujo was shown a second yellow card just before half-time.
The hosts scored with an own-goal by Jules Kounde in the 27th, a nice strike by Estevao in the 55th and a close-range shot by Liam Delap in the 73rd.
Chelsea’s Estevao scores their second goal against Barcelona [Hannah Mckay/Reuters]
Leverkusen continue Man City woes
In Pep Guardiola’s 100th Champions League game as City coach, his team struggled to cope with Bayer Leverkusen’s quick transitions in a 2-0 defeat, while Barcelona had an own goal and a red card in its 3-0 loss at Chelsea.
Guardiola made 10 changes to his starting lineup following Saturday’s loss to Newcastle in the Premier League, with Erling Haaland among those on the bench, but it didn’t have the desired effect.
Alejandro Grimaldo fired home Leverkusen’s first goal with a low shot into the far corner in the 23rd, and Patrik Schick headed in a second in the 54th.
City could have moved atop the table with a win, but the night ended with the top three unchanged. Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Inter Milan all play on Wednesday.
Bayer Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick celebrates scoring their second goal [Lee Smith/Reuters]
Benfica and Napoli also record wins
Jose Mourinho picked up his first Champions League win with his new club Benfica as Samuel Dahl’s early goal set the stage for a 2-0 win over troubled Ajax. It was No 36 vs No 35 in the pre-game standings as the two winless teams met in the Netherlands.
Left back Dahl scored an unstoppable volley on the rebound after Ajax goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros had saved a header from Benfica’s experienced defender Nicolas Otamendi. Leandro Barreiro added a second goal in the 90th.
Ajax has lost all five of its Champions League games and won only one of its last 10 games in all competitions.
Canadian forward Promise David scored the only goal as Belgium’s Union Saint-Gilloise won 1-0 at injury-depleted Galatasaray. The Turkish club was without injured Champions League top scorer Victor Osimhen, and finished with 10 men after 18-year-old defender Arda Unyay picked up two yellow cards.
Scott McTominay scored the opening goal as Napoli won 2-0 against Azerbaijan’s Qarabag. Napoli fans commemorated the fifth anniversary of club legend Diego Maradona’s death.
A Virginia high school football coach who went missing last week as his team prepared for a playoff game is now considered a fugitive.
Virginia State Police has issued 10 warrants for the arrest of Appalachia resident Travis Lee Turner, head football coach at Union High School in Big Stone Gap, Va. Turner, 46, is wanted on five counts of possession of child pornography and five counts of using a computer to solicit a minor.
“Police are actively searching for Turner,” the department also said. “Since his disappearance, VSP has utilized a number of assets, including search and rescue teams, drones and k9s, to assist in the search. VSP’s main priority is locating Turner safely; he is now considered a fugitive.”
On Nov. 20, special agents from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation Wytheville Field Office were sent to Turner’s home “as part of the early stages of an investigation,” Virginia State Police said in its statement.
“This was part of the investigation, and not to arrest him,” the department added. “While in transit, the agents were informed that Turner was no longer at the location.”
Turner was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt, sweatpants and glasses. He has coached Union since 2011. Two days after Turner’s disappearance, the Bears improved to 12-0 with a victory in a regional semifinal game.
“Wise County Public Schools is aware that law enforcement has filed charges against a staff member who has been on administrative leave,” Mike Goforth, division superintendent for Wise County Public Schools, said in a statement emailed to The Times.
“The individual remains on leave and is not permitted on school property or to have contact with students. The division will continue to cooperate with law enforcement as this process moves forward. Because this is an active legal matter involving personnel, the division cannot comment further.”
Arsenal keeping tabs on Elche midfielder Rodrigo Mendoza, Manchester City to enter race to sign Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, Sunderland and Brentford interested in AC Milan striker Santiago Gimenez.
Manchester United want to sign a new centre-back next summer but would still like experienced England defender Harry Maguire, 32, to sign a contract extension at Old Trafford. (Teamtalk), external
Bournemouth and Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo’s release clause with the Cherries will drop slightly from £65m in January, to a smaller figure next summer, but will not fall below £50m. (Telegraph – subscription required), external
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is concerned about an over-reliance on Norway striker Erling Haaland, 25, so will consider rivalling Liverpool for Bournemouth’s 25-year-old Semenyo. (Talksport), external
Nottingham Forest have identified Brighton’s 20-year-old English midfielder Jack Hinshelwood among a number of possible January transfer targets. (Mail), external
West Ham are pushing for Germany striker Niclas Fullkrug to leave permanently in January and want to reinvest any funds from the 32-year-old’s sale in one or two new forwards. (Florian Plettenberg), external
One option for West Ham is 6ft 5ins (1.96m) Union Saint-Gilloise striker Promise David and they could sign the 24-year-old Canada international for just £17m. (GiveMeSport), external
Real Madrid are planning to exercise the buyback clause in 21-year-old Argentina midfielder Nico Paz’s Como contract next summer as it it is not valid in January. (Fabrizio Romano), external
Everton boss David Moyes wants to hang on to English midfielder James Garner amid interest from Manchester United, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest in the 24-year-old, who is out of contract at the end of the season. (Talksport), external
AC Milan want to reopen talks with France goalkeeper Mike Maignan over a new contract amid interest in the 30-year-old from Juventus and several Premier League clubs. (Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian), external
Quarterbacks Drew Brees and Philip Rivers, along with wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, tight end Jason Witten and running back Frank Gore made it to the semifinal stage in their first year of eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The five newcomers are among the 26 modern era candidates who advanced to this stage in voting conducted by the full 50-member selection committee for the class of 2026.
The selection committee will next reduce the list to 15 finalists, who will be voted on before the Super Bowl in February.
Four players have already guaranteed themselves spots in the final 15 after making it down to the final seven players in the 2025 class, with Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri taking those spots.
The other returning finalists are Eli Manning, Fred Taylor, Steve Smith Sr., Reggie Wayne, Jahri Evans, Marshall Yanda, Terrell Suggs and Darren Woodson.
Offensive lineman Lomas Brown and defensive lineman Kevin Williams were the other two candidates who reached the semifinal stage for the first time. The other semifinalists are Hines Ward, Richmond Webb, Steve Wisniewski, Rodney Harrison, Earl Thomas, Vince Wilfork and Robert Mathis.
In addition to the 15 modern era finalists, the selection committee will consider three seniors, one coach and one contributor for the class of 2026. Between four and eight new members will be elected in the second year of this current format.
Only four people got in last year for the smallest class in 20 years.
Brees and Fitzgerald are the top new candidates this year.
Brees is second all time to Tom Brady with 80,358 yards passing and 571 touchdown passes. He spent the first five seasons of his career with the San Diego Chargers before signing as a free agent with the Saints in 2006, where his career took off as he helped lift a city still recovering from Hurricane Katrina.
Brees delivered to New Orleans its first Super Bowl title following the 2009 season, when he won MVP of the game after beating Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. Brees made the Pro Bowl 13 times in his career, won AP Offensive Player of the Year in 2008 and 2011, was an All-Pro in 2006 and was a second-team All-Pro four times.
Fitzgerald spent his entire career with the Arizona Cardinals after being drafted third overall in 2004. His 1,432 catches and 17,492 yards receiving in 17 seasons rank second all time to Jerry Rice.
Fitzgerald topped 1,000 yards receiving nine times — tied for the fourth most ever — and helped the Cardinals reach their only Super Bowl following the 2008 season. Fitzgerald set single-season records that postseason with 546 yards receiving and seven touchdown catches, including a go-ahead 64-yard score with 2:37 to play in the Super Bowl before Pittsburgh rallied for a 27-23 win over Arizona.
Rivers ranks seventh all time with 63,440 yards passing in a career spent mostly with the Chargers. He made eight Pro Bowls and won the 2013 AP Comeback Player of the Year.
Witten was one of the most prolific tight ends ever with his 1,228 catches and 13,046 yards ranking second best all time. Witten was a two-time All-Pro for Dallas and was a second-team All-Pro two other times.
Gore ranks third all time with 16,000 yards rushing with nine 1,000-yard seasons and five Pro Bowl honors.
Kuechly’s career was brief but impactful. The first-round pick by Carolina in 2012 was an All-Pro five times, with seven Pro Bowl nods and a Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
Over his eight-year career, Kuechly led all linebackers in the NFL in tackles (1,090), takeaways (26), interceptions (18) and passes defensed (66).
Vinatieri was one of the most clutch kickers in NFL history, making the game-winning field goals in the first two Super Bowl victories during New England’s dynasty.
He helped launch the run with one of the game’s greatest kicks — a 45-yarder in the snow to force overtime in the “Tuck Rule” game against the Raiders in the 2001 divisional round. He made the game-winning kick in overtime to win that game and then hit a 48-yarder on the final play of a 20-17 win in the Super Bowl against the Rams.
Vinatieri is the NFL’s career leader in points (2,673) and made field goals (599) over a 24-year career with New England and Indianapolis. He also leads all players with 56 field goals and 238 points in the postseason.
Holt was a key part of the Rams’ “Greatest Show on Turf,” helping the team win the Super Bowl in his rookie season in 1999 and getting back there two years later. Holt led the NFL in yards receiving in 2000 and in catches and yards in 2003 when he made his only All-Pro team.
Holt finished his career with 920 catches for 13,382 yards and 74 touchdowns.
Anderson was considered one of the top right tackles in his era after being a first-round pick by Cincinnati in 1996. He spent nearly his entire career with the Bengals and made three straight All-Pro teams from 2004-06.
Madrid, Spain – Real Madrid fans were divided over plans announced this week by club President Florentino Perez to allow private equity investors to buy up to a 10% stake in the club.
Some fans of “los merengues” said it would mean selling off part of the club, even though Real Madrid remains the wealthiest football club in the world.
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They also noted that in recent years, Real Madrid had already changed membership rules, contravening promises to keep memberships within families and diluting its character.
Others supported the investor plan, saying it made good business sense and would not alter the trajectory of a hugely successful club that has won the Spanish domestic title 36 times and collected a record 15 UEFA Champions League trophies.
Perez insisted that allowing private equity investors – who often deploy large amounts of capital into companies not listed on public stock exchanges – to take a stake in the club was an “indispensable project” for the future of football.
Speaking to club members on Sunday, Perez said he will propose a statutory reform during an extraordinary assembly to allow for the possibility of outside investors to take a minority stake in the club, according to reporting by The Associated Press news agency.
“We will continue to be a members’ club, but we must create a subsidiary in which the 100,000 members of Real Madrid will always retain absolute control,” he said.
“On that basis, this subsidiary could simply incorporate a minority stake, for example, 5% – never more than 10% – from one or more investors committed to the very long term and willing to contribute their own resources.”
Perez said that would be “the clearest and most compelling way to value our club”.
The 78-year-old added that it would allow the club to pay dividends to club members, which it is presently forbidden from doing.
Perez insisted investors would be obliged to “respect our values”, contribute to the growth of the club and “help us protect our assets from external attacks”.
He said Real Madrid could have the right to buy its assets back from investors.
Perez reiterated several times that members would never lose control of the club.
He said his proposal would make sure that the current 98,272 members are recognised as the real owners of the club, with the number of members fixed for the future.
“With this protection in place, no one will be able to diminish our status as owners or alter the balance that guarantees the independence and stability of Real Madrid,” Perez said. “It will be us, the members of today, who will have the responsibility of safeguarding our culture of values and ensuring that our club continues to lead world football for many generations to come.”
The Real Madrid president further explained the reform would “shield the club from external and internal attacks on our assets, and to highlight their value so that we are all aware of the treasure that we, as members, have in our hands”.
Perez, right, looks on in the stands before a Real Madrid match [File: Michael Regan/Getty Images]
Spanish club ownership versus English
Real Madrid, like Barcelona and a small number of other Spanish football clubs, is classed as a nonprofit organisation as it is owned by its club members, or socios. Real Madrid, founded in 1902, has only ever had this ownership model.
This ownership structure prevents large private investors from forging a majority controlling stake in the clubs; it also means they can claim tax concessions.
This is despite the fact that Real Madrid was named the world’s wealthiest football club for the fourth straight year in 2025, with an estimated market valuation of $6.75bn, according to the Forbes List. It was also the first club to earn $1bn in revenue.
The nonprofit status allows Spanish clubs to preserve some traditions of their clubs and for members to take an active role in the organisations.
Graham Hunter, a British football journalist who specialises in Spanish football, pointed to the example of Joan Laporta, the current president of the other Spanish mega club, Barcelona.
“Laporta went from being a member and a lawyer to being [club] president in seven years,” he said.
In stark contrast, football clubs in England or the United States – Manchester United or Inter Miami being just two examples – can be owned by individuals, corporations and in some instances, acquired on public stock exchanges, resulting in more commercialised ownership structures.
It means their club’s performances are often centred on more short-run processes like profit maximisation, whereas in Spain, the club is in the hands of fans – not large private investors – allowing scope for longer-term business strategies to be enacted.
If Perez’s plan goes ahead, this could open the door for this famous Spanish club to become more like its foreign rivals.
The high-profile, multi-billionaire boss of Louis Vuitton, Bernard Arnault, was named in Spanish media on Monday as a potential investor in the club, should the new minority ownership rules be adopted.
Real Madrid’s star-studded on-field lineup, led by key forwards Kylian Mbappe, left, and Vinicius Jr, are pivotal to maintaining the organisation’s status as the world’s wealthiest football club [File: Mahmud Hams/AFP]
Fans reaction
Some Real Madrid fans did not share Perez’s enthusiasm to open up the club to large private investors.
David Garcia, a former season ticket holder at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, said Perez had previously told fans he would preserve the club for members.
“On Sunday, Florentino [Perez] misled the members again. He had told us that access to the club was restricted to the children or grandchildren of members to prevent a Russian or Chinese person from joining,” he told Al Jazeera.
Garcia added that in recent years, the rules of admission to membership had been changed several times, and Chinese and other foreigners had appeared on membership lists.
Alejandro Dominguez, a former vice president of the Real Madrid Veterans Pena, questioned why outside investors were needed to boost the coffers of such a profitable club.
“I don’t understand why we need more money when we are already the richest club in the world?” he told Al Jazeera.
However, Fernando Valdez, a lifelong Real Madrid fan who is part of La Gran Familia supporters club, said he believed the reform would not harm the character of the club.
“If we were selling off huge chunks of the club to raise money to compete with Paris Saint-Germain, then that would be worrying, as it would change the club forever. But it is not like that,” he said.
“We need to know more details about this, but on the face of it, it does not seem like anything to worry about. Five percent or 10% is nothing.”
David Alvarez, who writes about Real Madrid for El Pais newspaper, said Perez’s ownership plan was not designed to compete with other high-spending clubs like Manchester City.
“This will allow the club to pay dividends to socios (club members). At present, the law stops them from doing that. They would have to sell a much bigger stake to be able to compete with the other big clubs in Europe, so they are not trying to do that.”
Unlike football fans in other countries, Real Madrid spectators often own a small part of their club under the ‘socios’ model, which has existed since 1902 [File: Juan Barbosa/Reuters]
Vinicius Junior will not sign a new deal at Real Madrid, Manchester United and Liverpool will keep an eye on his situation, while Liverpool have held concrete talks over a move for Antoine Semenyo.
Brazil forward Vinicius Junior, 25, has told Real Madrid he does not intend to renew his contract which expires in the summer of 2027, because of a strained relationship with manager Xabi Alonso. (Athletic – subscription required), external
Liverpool, Manchester United and several other Premier League clubs are keeping a keen eye on Vinicius’ situation. (Mirror), external
Liverpool have already held concrete talks over a move for Bournemouth and Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo, 25, and are aware of his £65m release clause. (Florian Plettenberg), external
Marseille want to hold talks with Brighton about signing Denmark midfielder Matt O’Riley, 25, permanently in January. (Sky Sports), external
European giants AC Milan are plotting a spectacular move for Crystal Palace and France striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, 28. (Teamtalk), external
Premier League clubs are expected to queue up to sign Atletico Madrid and England midfielder Conor Gallagher in January, provided the Spanish club agree to sell or loan out the 25-year-old former Chelsea player. (Sky Sports), external
Paris St-Germain have joined Real Madrid in the race for Bayern Munich and France defender Dayot Upamecano, 27, who looks set to become a free agent at the end of the season. (Sky Sports Germany – in German), external
Wolves and Brazil midfielder Joao Gomes, 24, has had his head turned by Manchester United’s interest in him and would be keen on a January move. (Teamtalk), external
Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva, 31, is likely to leave Manchester City when his contract expires at the end of the season. (Fabrizio Romano), external
Chelsea and Arsenal will fight to sign Marseille’s French striker Robinio Vaz, 18, who is valued between 20 and 30m euros (£17.6m to £25.5m). (Caught Offside), external
Atletico Madrid are considering a move for Marseille forward Mason Greenwood, 24, with the Englishman valued at about £70m. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s superb first-half goal seals 1-0 win for the visitors, who had 10 players for most of the game.
Everton enjoyed their first Premier League win at Manchester United for 12 years despite playing virtually the entire game with 10 men after midfielder Idrissa Gueye was sent off for slapping his own teammate Michael Keane.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s superb first-half goal on Monday sealed a 1-0 win for the visitors, who shrugged off the 13th-minute incident that had a furious Gueye dismissed after he and Keane squared up.
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United came into the match at Old Trafford on the back of a five-game unbeaten run and could have moved up to fifth with a win.
They dominated possession, especially in the second half, but Everton defended superbly to repel the hosts who looked blunt in attack.
Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford made several fine saves to preserve his side’s lead, the pick of them to claw away a Joshua Zirkzee header with 10 minutes remaining.
A second away win of the season lifted Everton above city rivals and champions Liverpool into 11th place, level on 18 points with United, who are above them on goal difference.
Everton suffered a big blow in just the 10th minute when they lost captain Seamus Coleman to injury.
But worse was to follow three minutes later with the scarcely believable bust-up between Gueye and Keane
The Premier League Match Centre posted on X: “The referee’s call of red card to Gueye for violent conduct was checked and confirmed by VAR – with the action deemed to be a clear strike to the face of Keane.”
Gueye is the first Premier League player to be sent off for fighting with a teammate since 2008.
Idrissa Gueye slaps Michael Keane in the face and earns himself a red card [Adam Vaughan/EPA]
The home crowd anticipated waves of attack but United failed to take advantage of their numerical advantage, proving toothless against David Moyes’ battling team.
Instead it was 10-man Everton who found the net, taking the lead courtesy of a wonderful strike by Dewsbury-Hall in the 29th minute.
Dewsbury-Hall received the ball and surged towards goal, beating Bruno Fernandes and Leny Yoro before bending the ball into the top corner.
United huffed and puffed for the rest of the half, with Pickford clawing away a Fernandes shot from distance as the half-time approached.
Ruben Amorim, marking the first anniversary of his maiden game in charge of United, brought on Mason Mount for Noussair Mazraoui at half-time but his team created little, despite dominating possession.
Amorim threw on Kobbie Mainoo and Diogo Dalot for Casemiro and Yoro in the 58th minute but still United looked blunt.
Pickford kept out a powerful Zirkzee header with just over 10 minutes of normal time to go and Everton hung on for a famous win.
Speaking after the game, Dewsbury-Hall said it was a “rollercoaster” of a game.
“I’m so genuinely happy for the lads and how hard they worked. A fantastic performance of gritting away, getting a goal and keeping that spirit,” he said. “So glad we got the three points.”
He said Gueye apologised to the team at full-time for the incident with Keane.
“We move on from it. The reaction from us was unbelievable. Top tier,” Dewsbury-Hall said.
“We could have crumbled, but if anything, it made us grow.”
United defender Matthijs de Ligt said the result and performance was a “step back” for his side after a decent run.
“I think the game says enough; against 10 men for 70 minutes and not creating that many chances,” the Dutch defender told Sky Sports. “Today was not a good night for us.
“We lacked the patience to play through the lines, and we crossed a lot of balls. We need to do a lot more.
“In all aspects today, it felt like a step back. Not just the result but the intensity and the focus.”
Who: Chelsea vs Barcelona What: League Phase, UEFA Champions League Where: Stamford Bridge, London, UK When: Tuesday at 8pm (20:00 GMT) How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 17:00 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.
Chelsea will host Barcelona at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday in a hugely consequential Matchday 5 League Phase clash in the UEFA Champions League (UCL).
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Chelsea and Barcelona, both former Champions League winners, head into this highly anticipated showdown with an identical seven points from their opening four fixtures, making this match pivotal as both sides aim to climb the standings in search of automatic top-eight qualification into the last-16 of the competition.
The star-studded clubs are riding recent hot streaks with Chelsea, bolstered by a trio of recent wins against Tottenham, Wolves and Burnley, closing in on the Premier League’s top spot behind table-topping Arsenal, while reigning La Liga champions Barcelona are again competing with archrival Real Madrid for the domestic title.
Here is all to know before their epic clash at Stamford Bridge:
What happened in Chelsea’s last Premier League match?
Goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez earned Chelsea a 2-0 victory at lowly Burnley on Saturday.
The result moved the Blues past Manchester City and into outright second on the English Premier League (EPL) table behind leaders Arsenal.
Enzo Maresca’s side will clash with the Gunners next Sunday in a top-of-the-table premiership showdown at Stamford Bridge.
What happened in Barcelona’s last La Liga match?
Barcelona secured a dominant 4-0 victory over 10-man Athletic Bilbao on Saturday in their first match back at their home venue Nou Camp since May 2023.
Ferran Torres had two goals for Barca with Robert Lewandowski and Fermin Lopez also adding to the scoresheet.
Athletic lost midfielder Oihan Sancet to a red card in the 54th minute after he was sent off for a crude challenge on Lopez.
Lewandowski, who scored the opener, said he will remember kicking the first goal at the team’s rebuilt Nou Camp stadium “forever”.
“Today was a special day, not only for me but for everyone. Because of this I’m very happy that I could score the first goal, coming back to the Nou Camp,” Lewandowski told Barca One.
“I have so much experience playing in different stadiums, but here is something special. I’m very proud of myself and also of the team because we did a great job today and we won.”
Lewandowski (#9) opened the scoring against Athletic Bilbao after four minutes to get Barca’s inauguration party started at the Nou Camp after two and a half years playing away from their home stadium [Josep Lago/AFP]
What happened in the last UCL League Phase match for both clubs?
Chelsea were held to a shock 2-2 draw by Azerbaijan side Qarabag in their last outing on November 5, while Barcelona had to rally from a goal down and split the points in a 3-3 result against Club Brugge in Belgium.
Where do Chelsea and Barcelona sit on the UCL League Phase standings?
Barcelona are currently 11th on the UEFA League Phase standings with Chelsea right behind in 12th position. Both sides have two wins, one draw and one loss from their four fixtures.
Teams need to finish the League Phase standings in a top-eight position to secure direct qualification into the round of 16. Those clubs that finish in ladder positions 9-to-24 will enter into a home and away playoffs to reach the last-16.
Where did Barcelona finish in last season’s Champions League?
The Catalan club were widely expected to reach the Champions League final but were eliminated by Inter, who staged a late comeback in the second leg of their record-equalling semifinal.
Palmer out of Barca clash
Chelsea star Cole Palmer is close to returning but will miss the UCL clash with Barcelona before the top-of-the-table Premier League showdown against Arsenal, Maresca said on Monday.
Palmer, who suffered a groin injury in August before returning with back-to-back goals against Brentford and Bayern Munich, was nearing his comeback, but an accident at home delayed his return.
The 23-year-old England international stubbed his toe on a door during the night, resulting in a fracture.
“Cole is wearing a (protective) boot,” Maresca told reporters.
“We don’t know when he will be back but for sure it will be soon. He’s already on the pitch, he’s already touching the ball and the feeling (for him) is good.
“I don’t think he will be available for these two games (Barca and Arsenal), but he is doing well.”
Injured Chelsea star Cole Palmer is close to returning to the training pitch but will miss this week’s important Barcelona and Arsenal fixtures [File: Jan Kruger/Getty Images]
Barca’s Lopez showing summer suitors Chelsea what they missed
Fermin Lopez, 22, is establishing himself as a regular starter for manager Hansi Flick’s side, even though outside of Spain he is not yet a household name.
Chelsea know plenty about Lopez, though, having had a 40-million-euro ($46m) bid rebuffed by Barcelona in the summer. In Tuesday’s Champions League fixture, the attacking midfielder will be one of their main goal threats.
Flick was eager to keep Lopez, while Barca were open to selling him at the right price, which Chelsea did not reach.
“I’m convinced that he will stay, but in the end I don’t know what happens. We have to wait. I am really happy when the market is closed,” said Flick in August, eventually getting his wish.
Despite his improvement and obvious utility for Barca – or maybe even because of it – he is an asset the Catalan giants could cash in.
If he shines at Stamford Bridge, it would be no surprise to see Chelsea’s interest in the midfielder reawaken and his price tag rise further.
Barcelona’s Spanish midfielder #16 Fermin Lopez is a rising star in La Liga [File: Lluis Gene/AFP]
Form guide: last five matches
Chelsea: W-L-W-W-W (Premier League, most recent result last)
Barcelona: W-L-W-W-W (La Liga, most recent result last)
Head-to-head: Chelsea-Barcelona
The two clubs have faced each other 14 times, with both teams winning four times while six ended as draws.
The sides last met at the round of 16 in the 2017-2018 Champions League with Barcelona progressing to the quarterfinals 4-1 on aggregate. Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi was the standout in the second leg with two goals – including his 100th UEFA Champions League goal – on the night.
Barcelona’s Lionel Messi celebrates scoring his 100th UEFA Champions League goal against Chelsea in their UEFA Champions League last-16 second leg match at the Nou Camp, Barcelona, Spain on March 14, 2018 [Albert Gea/Reuters]
Chelsea’s team news
Oft-injured Reece James was taken off at halftime of Saturday’s EPL fixture at Burnley, but the Chelsea captain’s early finish was preplanned and not the result of a new injury, according to Maresca, so he is expected to be available for team selection.
“The idea was to manage Reece,” said Maresca. “This is the reason why he played 45 minutes [only]. It was planned.
“It’s not easy, because me personally, I would like Reece to continue, but we need to protect Reece.”
French centre-back Wesley Fofana, who was omitted from the matchday squad against Burnley, is believed to be match fit ahead of the Barca clash.
Levi Colwill (knee), Dario Essugo (thigh) and Romeo Lavia (thigh) all remain sidelined for the Blues.
On-loan Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford missed Barca’s 4-0 victory over Bilbao on Saturday with illness but was back on the training pitch the following day, prompting rumours that he might suit up against Chelsea on Tuesday.
First-choice goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen will miss the fixture as he continues to recover from a back issue. Joan Garcia will stand in for the German.
Pedri (hamstring) and Gavi (knee) are unavailable for the La Liga champions.
Dynamic winger Raphinha, who returned on the weekend from a hamstring injury, is a strong possibility to regain his starting role against the Blues.
Barcelona’s possible starting XI
J. Garcia (goalkeeper); Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Balde; Casado, De Jong; Yamal, Lopez, Torres; Lewandowski
Barcelona’s Marcus Rashford, who is battling illness, might still play in Tuesday’s important Champions League match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge [File: Quique Garcia/EPA]
Welcome back to the Times of Troy newsletter, where USC’s loss to Oregon on Saturday has left me grappling with what it means to have a successful season in this day and age of college football.
USC will not be going to the College Football Playoff. It’ll be the fourth straight year under Lincoln Riley that USC is left out of the field. In that time, Indiana — which last won a conference title in 1967 — will have twice been a Playoff team. Assuming Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon all make this year’s field as expected, the Big Ten’s current membership will have accounted for 19 bids to the Playoff since it began in 2014 … none from USC.
There’s no getting around these facts. USC expects to compete for national titles every year, but in four seasons with Riley as coach, it hasn’t even made it to the dance floor. That’s not what USC was promised when it handed Riley a massive $110-million contract.
Fight on! Are you a true Trojans fan?
If USC beats UCLA next week, as expected, it will finish this season 9-3. That’s better than most rational observers would have expected — myself included. Oddsmakers had USC’s win total set at 7 1/2. I wrote in this space that I thought USC would win eight regular season games, but the best case was 10 and a Playoff bid. USC was within striking distance of that scenario. It fell just short.
Riley would like for you to focus on how narrow that gap is.
“We’re right there,” the coach said again Saturday. But no matter how many plays away USC might be from a Playoff bid in 2025 or four straight national titles in his tenure, Riley’s repeated assurances that this is the case have ceased to mean much to those he thinks he’s assuring. At some point, USC needs to stop being close and actually break through.
It took a step closer to that this season. There’s no shame in losing to three teams ranked in the top 21 of the CFP rankings. USC beat all the teams it was supposed to beat. It won on the road at Nebraska, Riley’s first road win over a .500 team since 2022. And it blew just one fourth-quarter lead, not five like last season.
In the 16 years since Pete Carroll left USC, the Trojans have reached the nine-win mark in the regular season just five times. With a win next week, Riley will have reached that mark twice in four years.
But without a Playoff bid, does a nine-win season really mean anything anymore? Is it possible for USC — or any Power Four team, for that matter — to miss the field and still view its season as a success?
If you thought that USC was going to make the College Football Playoff, you are no doubt disappointed. Most people, though, didn’t. And perhaps the fact that no one is surprised at the way this went is why it’s hard for anyone to feel excited about a 9-3 finish and a second-rate bowl game.
USC took a step forward this season. It wasn’t the leap many fans were hoping for. But it was a step. The reality is this was never a team that was going to seriously compete for a national title. It didn’t have enough talent.
Riley didn’t necessarily do USC any favors in that regard. Progress aside, he simply hasn’t done enough to make anyone, his bosses included, feel good about where next season might go.
There are reasons for optimism. Riley will have the No. 1 recruiting class at his disposal, along with several young returners USC will be counting on to make a leap. But he’ll also have to contend with a schedule that includes Ohio State, Oregon, Washington, Indiana and Penn State.
The road to the Playoff will be as difficult as it has ever been. But that is the bar that Riley must now clear. And by this time next season, we should have a pretty good idea of whether Riley is capable of clearing it.
Going polling
I want to hear what you think about this season as a whole. Do you consider USC’s season to be a success, even without a Playoff bid?
Tanook Hines catches a pass thrown by third-string quarterback Sam Huard on a fake punt against Northwestern.
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
—The leaping penalty was a major turning point in the loss to Oregon. But should it have been a penalty? The flag on linebacker Desman Stephens negated what would’ve been a key missed field goal by Oregon, and afterward, Riley explained that Stephens “panicked” and did something they don’t teach. But NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay, who you may remember from his disdain for USC’s fake punt ploy, posited on social media that it was actually a totally legal play. McAulay wrote that Stephens “leaps into the gap” on the play and “the fact that part of his body is over part of an opponent does not violate the rule,” which states that a player cannot leap into the plane directly above the frame of an opponent. We should note USC lost this game by two touchdowns, so reversing that one wouldn’t have made the difference. That said, I will be curious to ask Riley for his take on Tuesday.
—The offensive line injuries finally caught up to USC. When center Kilian O’Connor went down with what appeared to be another knee injury Saturday and returned to the sideline on crutches, with his leg mobilized, it felt like a foreboding sign. A hobbled J’Onre Reed struggled in his place. Up against a stout Oregon front seven, the Trojans’ line was facing an uphill battle, and it never made much headway. USC ran for just 52 yards, its worst mark in two years. Oregon barely had to blitz — it rushed with four on 27 of 31 dropbacks. This was simply a better defensive line beating up on a more limited offensive line. But USC’s offensive line showed a lot of heart over the course of the last six weeks, and there are plenty of reasons to feel optimistic. USC returns everyone in the room except for Reed and has several freshmen whose progress has impressed the staff this season.
—Tanook Hines can be a star as soon as next season. You saw once again what Hines is capable of as he leaped into the air to reel in Makai Lemon’s pass and tapped his toes in the end zone on the way down. The raw ability is apparent, and his propensity for big plays has been terrific for a freshman. The question now is whether he can emerge as a more consistent threat that’s leaned on to do more than just make highlight catches in traffic. Lemon is leaving for the NFL after this season, and while USC will surely try to convince Ja’Kobi Lane to stay, my guess is he’ll be ready to go, too, depending on his draft grade. That leaves Hines and whichever star transfer wideout(s) general manager Chad Bowden unearths in the portal to lead the receiving corps. Hines should be a big part of those plans, no matter what, and if he makes the leap, he could be in for a huge sophomore season.
—USC won’t be going to the Playoff, but there will be a consolation bowl appearance. Assuming the Trojans can win next week against UCLA, they’re most likely headed to the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio on Dec. 30. The Holiday Bowl on Jan. 2 is also in play. USC has played in the Holiday Bowl four times in the last 12 years. It has never appeared in the Alamo Bowl.
—After a brutal loss to Notre Dame, USC women’s basketball faces a critical stretch ahead. The Trojans had a chance to win in South Bend with a layup after a frustrating fourth quarter, but missed it, and Hannah Hidalgo ended the game on the other end. They have four games between now and a Dec. 13 matchup with Connecticut at Galen Center, and they’ll need that time to iron things out. Kennedy Smith needs to be more consistent on offense, and the frontcourt remains a mystery. The next two weeks should help answer some pertinent questions.
Olympic sports spotlight
With two games left in its regular season slate, USC’s women’s volleyball team matched its season-high for wins under coach Brad Keller with its 24th victory on Saturday. It should surpass that mark this week.
It’s been a stellar season so far for the Trojans, who are tied for fourth in the Big Ten. The question now is just how far they can go in the postseason. Right now, according to ESPN’s college volleyball bracketology, USC is predicted to be a fourth seed.
Will (Noah Schnapp) and Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) come face to face in Season 5 of “Stranger Things.”
(Netflix)
We’ve waited over three years, if you can believe it, for a new season of “Stranger Things.” So long that none of the kids in the show are even kids anymore. (Two of them have actually become rock stars in the meantime.)
But I’m one of those who have been eagerly awaiting the series conclusion, and finally, that day has come. We still only get Volume 1 from Netflix on Wednesday. But that should be enough to hold us off until late December, when the remaining episodes drop.
Until next time …
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected], and follow me on X at @Ryan_Kartje. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Jude Bellingham’s 87th minute equaliser rescued Real Madrid from defeat at Elche as Los Blancos return to top of ladder.
Published On 24 Nov 202524 Nov 2025
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Jude Bellingham struck late on to secure Real Madrid a 2-2 draw at Elche on Sunday, taking his team top of La Liga by a point.
Xabi Alonso’s side struggled against their mid-table opponents in an entertaining battle in which Madrid twice came from behind.
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Aleix Febas fired the hosts ahead before Dean Huijsen levelled for the league leaders, with Bellingham stabbing home from close range after Alvaro Rodriguez blasted Elche back in front.
Barcelona cut Madrid’s lead by two points over the weekend after they thrashed Athletic Bilbao 4-0 on Saturday in their first match back at Camp Nou.
Alonso afforded Rodrygo Goes a rare start as part of the attack, while benching Vinicius Junior. The coach also gave Trent Alexander-Arnold his first start since August.
The England international missed several weeks injured and is yet to find form following his summer switch from Liverpool.
Alexander-Arnold was also partly to blame for Febas’s goal, with the midfielder sneaking in behind him to break the deadlock in the second half.
Forward Alvaro Rodriguez, third from right, scores his team’s second goal in the 84th minute to put Elche ahead of Real Madrid 2-1 [Alberto Saiz/AP]
Elche sets the tone
Elche impressed against Barcelona a few weeks ago and gave Madrid a tough night at the Martinez Valero stadium.
Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made a fine early save to deny Andre da Silva after Hector Fort teed him up.
The forward was involved in an unfortunate incident earlier in the day at Real Madrid’s annual general meeting, when Los Blancos displayed his photograph by accident in a tribute to former Liverpool striker Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, who both died in a car crash in July.
Former Barca goalkeeper Inaki Pena denied Kylian Mbappe after the French forward broke through on goal and then stopped the French superstar’s volley in Madrid’s best chance of the first half.
Elche stunned Madrid early in the second half with a slick move to take the lead.
German Valera’s superb backheel allowed Febas to dart behind Alexander-Arnold and squeeze a shot across the goal, past Courtois and in off the post.
Alonso responded by sending on Vinicius Jr and then young striker Gonzalo Garcia. Alexander-Arnold earned some redemption with his contribution to Madrid’s equaliser.
His cross was deflected against his own crossbar by a defender and behind for a corner. Alexander-Arnold whipped it in and Bellingham flicked it on into Huijsen’s path to bash home.
Elche took the lead again when Rodriguez caught out Courtois with a powerful drive from the edge of the box.
However, three minutes later Madrid equalised for a second time, with Mbappe only just keeping the ball in for Bellingham to convert from point-blank range.
The England midfielder was in the spotlight back home earlier in the week after he was unhappy to be taken off by national team coach Thomas Tuchel.
Bellingham was not at his best against Elche but was involved in both Madrid goals, highlighting his game-changing ability in the box even when otherwise quiet.
Real Madrid’s Bellingham scores in the 87th minute to level the contest at 2-2 [Angel Martinez/Getty Images]
Star forward Lionel Messi played a part in all four goals as Inter Miami moved on to the MLS Eastern Conference finals.
Published On 24 Nov 202524 Nov 2025
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Tadeo Allende scored a second-half brace, Lionel Messi scored and picked up three assists and Inter Miami pulled away a 4-0 victory over Cincinnati in Sunday’s Major League Soccer (MLS) Eastern Conference semifinal.
Mateo Silvetti, 19, also had a goal and an assist for No 3 seed Miami, which continues its deepest MLS Cup Playoff run in club history by advancing to its first East final. It will host No 5 seed New York City FC, which shut out top-seeded Philadelphia Union 1-0 on Sunday night.
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Cincinnati was eliminated in a home match for a third consecutive postseason while falling a match short of reaching its second East final.
Miami’s second consecutive 4-0 playoff win – after earning a home victory over Nashville in the decisive game of the round one series two weeks ago – came as manager Javier Mascherano decided not to return key striker Luis Suarez to the starting lineup.
Suarez, who was previously Messi’s longtime teammate at Barcelona, served a red-card suspension in the final Nashville match, but had 10 goals and 10 assists in the regular season.
But Messi and a more youthful Miami front four have appeared to reach another level over the last 180 minutes.
Messi has six goals and six assists this postseason – contributing to every single Miami tally – after he scored 29 goals and added 19 assists during what is likely to be a second consecutive MLS MVP-winning regular season.
Messi, right, scores Miami’s first goal as Cincinnati goalkeeper Roman Celentano, third from left, tries to defend during the first half of their Eastern Conference semifinal [Tanner Pearson/AP]
Messi dominates East semifinal
On Sunday, Messi scored his goal in the 19th minute during what was an evenly poised opening to the match.
Jodi Alba created the opportunity when he stepped forward from his left back position to intercept a Cincinnati pass and create a transition opportunity.
Eventually, Silvetti got the ball in space on the left and delivered an outswinging cross that Messi met in stride with a firm header past goalkeeper Roman Celentano.
Silvetti doubled Miami’s lead in the 57th minute on a sequence that began from a throw-in on the right. Allende did extremely well to receive the throw, then turn his body quickly to elude a defender and spot Messi in space near the penalty arc. Messi kept the ball moving right to left with a layoff into Silvetti’s path, who dispatched an excellent curling finish beyond Celentano and inside the far right post.
Allende added his brace in the 62nd and 74th minutes, both on transition opportunities. Messi took the ball off Evander on the first to create the break, and the final through ball on both.
Who: Manchester United vs Everton What: English Premier League Where: Old Trafford, Manchester When: Monday at 8pm (20:00 GMT) How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 5pm (17:00 GMT) in advance of our live text commentary stream.
Manchester United host Everton and are looking to extend a five-game unbeaten run under Ruben Amorim although they have drawn their past two against Nottingham Forest and Spurs.
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A win could see them move into the top four with Bryan Mbeumo’s scoring streak a key factor in their recent resurgence.
But Everton are just three points below Man United in a congested table, and David Moyes will be extra motivated to get a result at his former club.
Happyish anniversary for Amorim
Monday’s fixture at Old Trafford marks a year to the day since Amorim’s first match in charge.
Amorim’s reign as United manager started with a 1-1 draw away to Ipswich, and since then, the Portuguese boss has experienced plenty of lows in charge of the English football giants, including finishing 15th in the table and failing to qualify for Europe.
But recent results have been encouraging, and Amorim said consistency is key.
“Right away, I knew we would struggle in some things, but the feeling was it is the best league in the world, maybe the best club,” he said.
“[Now] I think we are showing [consistency], but the important thing is that it doesn’t matter what we did in the recent games,” he said. “We cannot forget we suffered a lot in those games and play every game like it is the last one.
“[We are] more dominant, playing better football, and more competitive in every way.”
Cunha credits United resurgence for Brazil call-ups
Man United forward Matheus Cunha has credited the club’s resurgence under Amorim with helping him cement a spot in Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad before next year’s World Cup in North America.
Cunha, 26, has seamlessly adapted to playing in Amorim’s system as a hybrid attacking midfielder and forward, a trait he believes has strengthened his case for World Cup inclusion.
“Knowing that the manager [Amorim] trusts me to play in multiple positions is important,” Cunha said.
“Manchester United is a club that should always be at the top,” he said. “I’m grateful to be playing in a side that’s delivering and competing well. To earn a spot in the national team, you have to consistently show your worth at club level.”
Cunha is thriving under Amorim’s style of play in the 2025-2026 English Premier League season [File: Matt McNulty/Getty Images]
Moyes says Everton in midst of a rebuild
Everton received a significant boost after appointing Moyes as manager for the second time in January with his side steadily rising up the table.
Speaking before the game against Man United, Moyes said his team were continuing to work towards finding “solid ground” but it would take time.
“We’ve said many times about us trying to get on solid ground again. We’ve done that with the new owners, new stadium and staying up last year. So we have to try and make sure that we go steady,” he said.
“If anybody thought that we were going to completely switch everything around, then they’re completely off their head.”
Moyes continued: “I used to always look at the real managers from eras before me who I look up to now – Bobby Robson, Brian Clough, Don Revie – all those ones who’d been given long periods at their clubs, and if you look at the success, it tended to work better that way.”
What happened in Man United’s last EPL match?
Matthijs de Ligt equalised in the sixth minute of a dramatic period of stoppage time to earn Manchester United a 2-2 draw at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on November 8.
Tottenham had looked like they would claim all three points when Richarlison glanced in a header in the first minute of added time, completing a Spurs comeback from a goal down.
There was still time for de Ligt to find space at the back post at a corner to direct a header goalwards and over the line before Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario clawed the ball away.
Trailing after Mbeumo’s 32nd-minute header, Tottenham dominated the second half and grabbed an equaliser in the 84th through substitute Mathys Tel’s shot that deflected in off de Ligt.
De Ligt celebrates scoring the equaliser against Spurs [Matthew Childs/Action Images via Reuters]
What happened in Everton’s last EPL match?
Everton defeated Fulham 2-0 at home on November 8 just before FIFA’s international window, ending a three-match EPL winless streak going back to October 5.
Idrissa Gueye gave Everton the lead in the first half, and Michael Keane made it 2-0 in the second as Moyes’s side also had a number of goals chalked off for offside in what was a dominant victory.
Gueye of Everton celebrates scoring his team’s first goal against Fulham [Carl Recine/Getty Images]
Head-to-head: Last six matches
United are unbeaten against Everton in their last six fixtures with four wins and two draws.
The teams last played in a preseason friendly two weeks before the start of the 2025-2026 English Premier League season:
Manchester United 2-2 Everton (August 4)
Everton 2-2 Manchester United (February 2)
Manchester United 4-0 Everton (December 1)
Manchester United 2-0 Everton (March 9, 2024)
Everton 0-3 Manchester United (November 26, 2023)
Manchester United 2-0 Everton (April 8, 2023)
Form guide: last five Premier League matches
Manchester United: W-W-W-D-D (most recent result last)
Everton: W-L-L-D-W
United’s team news
Benjamin Sesko will be out of action “for a few weeks” after hurting his knee before the international break, Amorim said on Friday.
The forward, who joined United from RB Leipzig for 74 million pounds ($97m) in August, was injured during the 2-2 draw at Tottenham and missed Slovenia’s World Cup qualifiers.
United will also be without Harry Maguire against Everton after the defender picked up an injury in the Spurs draw.
Midfielder Kobbie Mainoo could be available to face Everton, and Lisandro Martinez is getting closer to a return after being involved in the Argentina camp over the break.
Meanwhile, Cunha missed a Christmas lights switch-on event in Altrincham after organisers revealed the forward suffered “an accident in training” on Saturday, raising doubts over his availability on Monday.
In the video game world, conquering the “cheat code” means a player has figured out the secret password to stay alive.
In the high school football world, Matt Logan, the coach at Corona Centennial, is the only public school coach in California to have figured out how to beat private schools in the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs.
His teams won back-to-back championships in 2014 and 2015, then couldn’t crack the playoff code of beating St. John Bosco or Mater Dei for the next eight seasons.
Then came Friday night, when before some 4,000 fans, Centennial defeated Mater Dei 28-27 in the Division 1 semifinals to advance to a championship game Friday against Santa Margarita at the Rose Bowl. Going through the private-school gaunlet of the Trinity League is not easy but the Huskies fear no one.
How was the “cheat code” solved?
The truth is St. John Bosco and Mater Dei gathered so much talent on the offensive and defensive lines and so much depth that beating them in the postseason in recent years became unlikely.
This season, finally there were cracks in the armor.
“They’re not what they were,” assistant coach Anthony Catalano said. “They have weaknesses.”
Mater Dei had no elite running back like Jordon Davison; the offensive line couldn’t overcome its lack of experience and too many 15-yard penalties proved costly. St. John Bosco’s inexperience at quarterback and the absence of an elite running back also were exposed. Both teams had as good as a receiving corp as there is in the nation, but this season showed you have to be able to run the ball successfully in the fourth quarter.
This is the first time Mater Dei became a three-loss team since 2015. This is the first time Mater Dei or St. John Bosco have not played in a final since 2012 when Long Beach Poly won the title.
There’s still one more private school for Centennial to conquer, Santa Margarita, in Friday’s championship game. The two teams met Aug. 28 with Santa Margarita winning in overtime 33-27 when Logan missed the game because of a health scare.
Santa Margarita’s defense must be pierced for Centennial to win. The Eagles’ defensive line, linebackers and secondary are loaded with talent. Carson Palmer’s coaching staff, filled with former NFL players like himself, have shown they can teach, lead and handle X’s and O’s. They’ve also figured out the code to make it through the toughest schedule in Southern California.
It will be a great championship weekend for the Southern Section and City Section.
What a story for the return of Crenshaw (10-1) to the City Open Division final on Saturday against 11-time champion Carson at L.A. Southwest College. Interim coach Terrence Whitehead and his players are motivated to win for coach Robert Garrett, who has been on administrative leave all season. And what a season it has been for Carson junior quarterback Chris Fields III.
In Southern Section Division 2, surging San Clemente will host Los Alamitos in a rematch of their Alpha League game won by the Tritons. Sophomore quarterback Preston Beck has made tremendous progress in the last five weeks for San Clemente. It’s a rare game of home-grown players representing their communities absent of transfer students.
In Division 3, it’s the battle of top junior quarterbacks featuring Taylor Lee of unbeaten Oxnard Pacifica and Palos Verdes with Ryan Rakowski, who delivered a stitle title last season.
In Division 5, Rio Hondo Prep is 13-0 and going for a third consecutive title against Redondo Union, which is making its first championship appearance sine 1944. In Division 13, Montebello has reached its first final since 1935 and will play for its first championship against Woodbridge.
The competitive equity playoff system is creating championship opportunities for teams with little championship history. That’s a positive for fans bored of seeing the same teams every season in the finals.
The immigrant experience holds special meaning to Rams defensive end Kobie Turner — his grandfather immigrated to the U.S. from Jamaica and his wife’s parents immigrated from Peru. When choosing an organization to highlight in the NFL’s “My Cause My Cleats” campaign, he wanted to show support not only for his family but all immigrants as well.
“There’s been a lot of hard times as of late, a lot of families that are not sure what comes next and I just want to uplift them,” Turner said. “Immigrants are so important to America; they are the backbone to this country.”
The NFL’s “My Cause My Cleats” initiative started after Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall was fined for violating the league’s uniform policy when he wore cleats promoting Mental Health Awareness Week in October 2013.
After criticizing the NFL for failing to support players and their charitable causes, he met with league officials and two sides created a campaign that allowed players to wear custom-designed cleats that highlighted an organization they support. Since 2016 the “My Cause My Cleats” campaign has been a mainstay on the NFL calendar.
With the immigrant community in Los Angeles and across the country dealing with raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Turner wanted to meet the moment by partnering with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, an organization that advocates for the civil rights of immigrants and refugees.
Rams defensive end Kobie Turner’s cleats for the NFL’s 2025 “My Cause My Cleats” campaign. The cleats support CHIRLA, an organization dedicated to the advance the human and civil rights of immigrants and refugees.
(Los Angeles Rams)
He is the only player in the NFL supporting an immigrant rights charity via the “My Cause My Cleats” campaign.
“I really wanted to do something to lend a voice to the immigrant community,” Turner said, “and I know that CHIRLA does a really good job of providing opportunities and pathways for citizenship.”
Luis Tadeo, director of marketing and public relations of CHIRLA, understands the critical role sports and culture play in shaping the way that the community engages and heals in unprecedented times. He knows having the support of a star player on one of L.A.’s biggest sports teams is a powerful statement.
“We hope that other players and other teams in Los Angeles, who have been silent during these moments, see Turner and the Rams as an example of what they could do for immigrant families,” Tadeo said.
Turner, 26, will wear the bright pink cleats when the Rams go for their sixth consecutive win Sunday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at SoFi Stadium. One of the stars of a Rams pass-rushing contingent that includes Byron Young, Jared Verse and Braden Fiske, Turner has 22 tackles and 1½ sacks for an 8-2 Rams team that is among the favorites to win the Super Bowl.
Bursting onto the NFL scene two years ago with an impressive nine-sack rookie campaign, Turner gained fame for an appearance on “The Masked Singer” last year, belting out notes befitting of “The Conductor” nickname he earned while singing in college. Music and football played big roles in Turner’s life while growing up in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Clifton, Va.
Rams defensive end Kobie Turner tries to break through the Baltimore Ravens’ offensive line during a game on Oct. 12.
(Terrance Williams / Associated Press)
Now he wants to give a voice to something that goes beyond football and singing — he wants to remind everyone that immigrants are an integral part of American culture.
“You look around and you see ‘Vamos Rams,’ the communities that we serve are immigrant communities,” Turner said. “It’s important to be able to lend a voice to those people and let them know that they are being heard.”
For Turner, his charitable efforts go beyond this weekend. On Tuesday, Turner, Rams staff members and cheerleaders, in conjunction with South L.A. nonprofit A Place Called Home, will serve meals and distribute 400 turkeys and Thanksgiving supplies to families in need. Turner also will perform with 29Live, the youth band of A Place Called Home, during the event.
“Our mission is to achieve a just society fully inclusive of immigrants, and whether that’s on the football pitch, if it’s in the halls of Congress, if it’s at the White House making decisions on laws that will impact the lives of immigrants, we need all of the support,” Tadeo said.
Ex-Juventus and France star midfielder made his return to football, suiting up for Monaco in first game in more than two years after drug ban.
Published On 23 Nov 202523 Nov 2025
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Paul Pogba described his emotional Monaco debut as a moment of relief and gratitude on Saturday, after the French midfielder returned to the pitch for the first time in more than two years following a doping ban.
The former Juventus and Manchester United player, who joined the Ligue 1 side on a free transfer in June, had not played a competitive match since September 2023.
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Pogba received a four-year ban in February 2024 after testing positive for the banned substance DHEA, which boosts testosterone levels. The suspension was cut to 18 months after an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The 32-year-old, who was nearing a return last month before suffering a right ankle injury, came on in the 85th minute of Monaco’s 4-1 defeat by Rennes at Roazhon Park and was met with a standing ovation.
“Seeing the crowd rise and applaud, I never imagined that would happen,” Pogba told reporters. “I’m relieved to be playing football again, the thing I love most in the world.
“But there’s still work to do to get back to full fitness and be able to play 90 minutes… If I don’t perform well at Monaco, I can forget about the French national team.
“I believe in myself and in my qualities, and since I knew I had done nothing wrong and it was not my fault, I never lost hope.”
Pogba, who has made 91 appearances for France, played a starring role in his nation’s 2018 FIFA World Cup victory. Knee and hamstring injuries, as well as knee surgery, prevented him from playing for France at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Pogba in action during the French Ligue 1 match between Rennes and Monaco [Lou Benoist/AFP]
