match

Champions League analyst Stephen Warnock and Guillem Balague believe Liverpool’s defensive weaknesses combined with the experimentation of playing Bradley Barcola up front, highlight Andoni Iraola’s team are still trying to find their identity following a 3-2 defeat to Fenerbahce in the Champions League.

READ MORE: Another ‘miracle’ in Istanbul – but this one hurt Liverpool

Available to UK users only.

Newcastle United head coach Matthias Jaissle takes issue with referee John Brooks’ decision not to call a “clear foul” on Fabian Schar in the build-up to Thierno Barry’s goal in their loss to Everton in the Premier League.

MATCH REPORT: Premier League – Newcastle United 0-1 Everton

Available to UK users only.

Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel is in a stable condition in intensive care after suffering a serious injury during a Spanish second division match on Monday.

The 30-year-old suffered injuries in the region of his head and chest in added time of Tenerife’s home fixture against Andorra, following a collision with visiting goalkeeper Jesus Owono.

Spanish media, including Marca, external, reported De Miguel suffered a cardiac arrest in the ambulance and was resuscitated by paramedics on the way to hospital.

A statement from Tenerife said the Madrid-born De Miguel was admitted to the University Hospital of Nuestra Senora de Candelaria and was “stable despite the severity of his condition”.

Tenerife and Andorra were tied 2-2 and seven minutes into stoppage time when the incident occurred.

Owono had run towards the centre circle to clear a long ball when his knee appeared to collide with De Miguel.

De Miguel lay motionless on the pitch as medical staff treated him before he was taken by ambulance from Tenerife’s Estadio Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez to hospital.

Players from both teams were visibly distressed by the incident, with a number of De Miguel’s team-mates in tears.

The referee showed Owono a straight red card before abandoning the match.

A statement from Andorra said: “We want to send all our strength and best wishes to Jesus de Miguel after the serious incident suffered during today’s match.

“We hope he recovers soon. A very strong hug to the player, his family and Tenerife.”

Nov. 1, 2026 1:31 PM PT

HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS TENNIS

SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS

(Matches at 2 p.m. unless noted)

FRIDAY, NOV. 6

First Round

DIVISION I

Corona Del Mar, bye

Mira Costa at Harvard-Westlake

Palos Verdes at Orange Lutheran

Westlake at Portola

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 4

First Round

DIVISION 2

Santa Ana Foothill, bye

Redondo Union at Sage Hill

Sierra Canyon at Campbell Hall

Ayala at Riverside King

Woodbridge at Palm Desert

Anaheim Canyon at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame

Marlborough at Temecula Valley

Northwood at Irvine University

Calabasas at Chadwick

Crean Lutheran at Aliso Niguel

Cerritos at Bonita

Los Alamitos at Mater Dei

Newport Harbor at Sunny Hills

Beckman at Cate

Temple City at Agoura

Santa Monica at Tesoro

DIVISION 3

San Marino, bye

Long Beach Poly at Redlands

West Torrance at Cypress

Crescenta Valley at San Clemente

Immaculate Heart at Oak Park

Xavier Prep at Fountain Valley

Brentwood at Patriot

Oxford Academy at Pasadena Poly

West Ranch at Huntington Beach

Placentia Valencia at Corona Santiago

Burbank at Eastvale Roosevelt

Fullerton at Walnut

South Torrance at Flintridge Prep

Chino Hills at Diamond Bar

Los Osos at Archer School for Girls

San Dimas at Troy

DIVISION 4

Culver City, bye

Capistrano Valley at Millikan

El Dorado at Valencia

Riverside Poly at Mission Viejo

Westminster La Quinta at Westridge

Oak Hills at Liberty

Garden Grove at Dos Pueblos

Hart at Riverside North

Yucaipa at Great Oak

Keppel at Upland

Chaminade at Irvine

Fairmont Prep at CAMS

Rancho Cucamonga at Arlington

Woodcrest Christian at La Serna

Alta Loma at Western Christian

Rowland, bye

DIVISION 5

Gefffen Academy at Buckley

Golden Valley at Heritage

Hacienda Heights Wilson at Esperanza

Valley View at Bishop Montgomery

South Hills at Long Beach Wilson

Serrano at Cerritos Valley Christian

Santa Fe at Burbank Burroughs

St. Bonaventure at Laguna Blanca

California at Chaparral

La Salle at La Quinta

Vista Murrieta at Simi Valley

Corona at Village Christian

San Marcos at Academy for Academic Excellence

Thacher at Laguna Hills

Santa Barbara at Arroyo

Murrieta Mesa at La Canada

DIVISION 6

Jurupa Valley at Montclair

Century at La Sierra

Chaffey at Segerstrom

San Jacinto at Western

Rim of the World at Brea Olinda

Whittier at Carpinteria

Chino at Katella

Glendale at Apple Valley

Webb at Ridgecrest Burroughs

Lancaster at St. Margaret’s

Ramona at Westminster

Flintridge Sacred Heart at Maranatha

Bolsa Grande at Garden Grove Pacifica Christian

Lakewood St. Joseph at Quartz Hill

Downey at Vista del Lago

Jurupa Hills at Gahr

DIVISION 7

Highland at Redlands East Valley

Rancho Mirage at Garden Grove Santiago

Cathedral City at Royal

El Modena at San Gabriel

Adelanto at Alhambra

Castaic at Linfield Christian

Sierra Vista at Covina

El Rancho at Mayfair

Ontario Christian at Temescal Canyon

Canoga Park AGBU at Santa Ana Calvary Chapel

Summit at Shadow Hills

Lynwood at Cajon

Garey at Tahquitz

Oxnard at Santa Monica Pacifica Christian

Workman at Milken

Rubidoux at Azusa

DIVISION 8

Pioneer at Granite Hills

Dunn at YULA

Carter at Pasadena

Oxnard Pacifica at Arroyo Valley

Santa Paula at Riverside Notre Dame

Yucca Valley at Monrovia

de Toledo at Edgewood

Shalhevet at Foothill Tech

Artesia at Lakeside

Palmdale at Palm Springs

Grand Terrace at Rio Mesa

Miller at Canyon Springs

Nordhoff at Hemet

Orange at Costa Mesa

Anaheim at Rosemead

La Puente at Magnolia

Note: Second round (Divisions 2-8) Nov. 6 at higher seeds; Quarterfinals (Divisions 2-8) Nov. 9 at higher seeds; Semifinals (all divisions) Nov. 11 at higher seeds; Finals (Divisions I-4) Nov. 13 at University of Redlands. Finals (Divisions 5-8) Nov. 13 at The Claremont Club.

Oct. 31, 2026 9:15 AM PT

HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS TENNIS

CITY SECTION PLAYOFFS

MONDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Matches at 12:30 p.m. unless noted)

Semifinals

DIVISION I

#8 Eagle Rock at #4 Chatsworth

#3 Venice at #2 El Camino Real

DIVISION II

#12 New West at #1 Granada Hills Kennedy

#3 Wilmington Banning at #2 LACES

Note: Division I-II semifinals Monday, Nov. 2 at 12:30 p.m. at higher seeds; Division I-II finals Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 11 .a.m. at higher seeds.

Oct. 29, 2026 8:29 PM PT

CITY SECTION PLAYOFFS

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

Quarterfinals

DIVISION I

#1 SOCES d. #9 North Hollywood, 25-13, 25-21, 20-25, 25-20

#4 San Pedro d. #5 L.A. University, 23-25, 25-19, 25-13, 19-25, 15-13

#11 Lincoln d. #14 L.A. Marshall, 22-25, 25-22, 16-25, 25-23, 15-11

#2 Granada Hills Kennedy d. #7 Sun Valley Poly, 25-22, 25-22, 25-12

DIVISION II

#1 South East d. #8 Carson, 25-21, 25-18, 25-20

#5 Alliance Levine d. #13 Panorama, 25-21, 30-28, 26-24

#11 Maywood CES d. #14 South Gate, 24-26, 25-21, 25-23, 24-26, 15-10

#7 Verdugo Hills d. #15 Reseda, 25-16, 27-25, 25-5

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Matches at 4 p.m. unless noted)

Quarterfinals

DIVISION III

#17 RFK Community at #9 Marquez

#12 Harbor Teacher at #4 Wilmington Banning

#11 Larchmont Charter at #3 Narbonne

#18 L.A. Wilson at #18 Math & Science College Prep

DIVISION IV

#8 Arleta at #1 Santee

#12 Fairfax at #4 Community Charter

#11 Canoga Park at #3 Huntington Park

#7 Legacy at #2 Garfield

DIVISION V

#8 San Fernando Arroyo at #1 Elizabeth

#21 Discovery at #4 Animo Pat Brown

#14 Smidt Tech at #6 Angelou

#15 Manual Arts at #7 Lakeview Charter

Note: Semifinals (all divisions) Tues., Nov. 3 at higher seeds; Finals (all divisions) Fri., Nov. 6 or Sat., Nov. 7 (times and sites TBD).

Georgia Roche replaces Jenna Foubister at half-back for England women, with Hope Millard stepping up to the bench for their must-win final group game.

England have to beat Samoa to finish second in Group A and qualify for the semi-finals.

They beat Wales 70-6 in their opener, but were thrashed 78-0 by reigning champions Australia in Perth last weekend.

Foubister, 19, started against Australia after a superb domestic season where she was named Super League Woman of Steel.

But she struggled against the strength of Australia, so coach Stu Barrow has opted for the experience of Roche instead.

The loss of key player Eva Hunter to a leg injury suffered against the Jillaroos has prompted a pack reshuffle, with Hollie-Mae Dodd moving from prop to the back row.

Mary Coleman comes in at prop as a result, while England are boosted by captain Jodie Cunningham overcoming an ear injury suffered last week to be named on the bench.

Georgia Wilson is in for Molly Jones in the centres, while Millard – the only heritage player left in the England set-up following Jasmin Strange’s tournament-ending knee injury – is back in the squad.

A win would earn England a semi-final spot, where they would most likely face New Zealand, who beat them in the last four of the previous World Cup in 2022.

England women: Fran Goldthorp, Anna Davies, Georgia Wilson, Connie Boyd, Amelia Brown, Izzy Rowe, Georgia Roche, Mary Coleman, Keara Bennett, Liv Wood, Lucy Murray, Hollie-Mae Dodd, Megan Williams.

Interchange: Jodie Cunningham, Vicky Whitfield, Hope Millard, Lucie Sams.

Reserves: Ruby Bruce, Evie Cousins, Molly Jones

CITY SECTION PLAYOFFS

MONDAY’S RESULTS

First round

DIVISION I

#1 SOCES d. #16 Birmingham, 25-20, 25-18, 12-25, 25-21

#9 North Hollywood d. #8 LACES, 25-15, 25-10, 25-13

#5 L.A. University d. #12 Foshay, 3-0

#4 San Pedro d. #13 GALA, 3-1

#14 L.A. Marshall d. #3 Sylmar, 25-22, 25-23, 14-25, 25-23

#11 Lincoln d. #6 Mendez, 25-20, 22-25, 25-22, 25-20

#7 Sun Valley Poly d. #10 L.A. Roosevelt, 25-22, 21-25, 26-24, 25-22

#2 Granada Hills Kennedy d. #15 King/Drew, 26-28, 25-12, 25-18, 25-22

DIVISION II

#1 South East d. #16 New West, 25-14, 25-17, 25-13

#8 Carson d. #9 San Fernando, 3-1

#5 Alliance Levine d. #12 Bravo Medical, 25-18, 25-21, 23-25, 25-22

#13 Panorama d. #4 Triumph Charter, 26-24, 25-22, 25-15

#14 South Gate at #3 Grant

#11 Maywood CES d. #6 Central City Value, 3-0

#7 Verdugo Hills d. #10 L.A. Hamilton, 27-25, 25-14, 29-27

#15 Reseda d. #2 East Valley, 3-1

DIVISION III

#17 RFK Community d. #16 University Prep Value, 25-20, 25-27, 25-27, 25-14, 15-11

#13 Port of Los Angeles d. #20 Vaughn, 26-28, 9-25, 25-20, 25-22, 17-15

#19 Sun Valley Magnet d. #14 Gertz-Ressler, 20-25, 25-19, 25-22, 22-25, 16-14

#18 L.A. Wilson d. #15 Animo Robinson, 27-25, 25-12, 23-25, 25-21

DIVISION IV

#17 Los Angeles d. #16 Northridge Academy, 3-0

#20 Downtown Magnets d. #13 Westchester, 23-25, 35-15, 25-12, 25-22

#14 Hollywood d. #19 Esperanza College, 25-19, 21-25, 25-13, 25-19

#15 Jefferson d. #18 South LA College, 25-20, 25-13, 25-11

DIVISION V

#16 Orthopaedic d. #17 Alliance Marine, 25-18, 25-16, 25-21

#9 USC Hybrid d. #24 Dorsey, 25-9, 25-11, 25-7

#21 Discovery d. #12 East College Prep, 27-25, 25-20, 25-15

#13 Camino Nuevo d. #20 Alliance Bloomfield, 25-22, 25-14, 25-14

#14 Smidt Tech d. #19 Hawkins, 25-10, 25-14, 25-13

#11 Diego Rivera d. #22 Collins Family, 25-14, 25-22, 23-25, 25-23

#190 Van Nuys d. #23 Valley Oaks CES, 25-13, 25-13, 25-16

#15 Manual Arts d. #18 Aspire Ollin, 16-25, 25-13, 25-17, 25-21

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Matches at 4 p.m. unless noted)

Quarterfinals

OPEN DIVISION

#8 Eagle Rock at #1 Venice

#5 El Camino Real at #4 Taft, 6 p.m.

#6 Granada Hills at #3 Cleveland, 5 p.m.

#7 Chatsworth at #2 Palisades, 5 p.m.

Second Round

DIVISION III

#17 RFK Community at #1 Franklin

#9 Marquez at #8 Animo De La Hoya

#12 Harbor Teacher at #5 Annenberg

#13 Port of L.A. at #4 Wilmington Banning

#19 Sun Valley Magnet at #3 Narbonne

#11 Larchmont Charter at #6 Stern

#10 Brio College Prep at #7 Math & Science College

#18 L.A. Wilson at #2 Lake Balboa College Prep

DIVISION IV

#17 Los Angeles at #1 Santee

#9 Middle College at #8 Arleta

#12 Fairfax at #5 Bell

#20 Downtown Magnets at #4 Community Charter

#14 Hollywood at #3 Huntington Park

#11 Canoga Park at #6 WISH Academy

#10 Monroe at #7 Legacy

#15 Jefferson at #2 Garfield

DIVISION V

#16 Orthopaedic at #1 Elizabeth

#9 USC Hybrid at #8 San Fernando Arroyo

#21 Discovery at #5 Magnolia Science Academy

#13 Camino Nuevo vs. #4 Animo Pat Brown at Ross Snyder Park, 2 p.m.

#14 Smidt Tech at #3 Burton

#22 Collins Family / #11 Diego Rivera at #6 Angelou

#10 Van Nuys at #7 Lakeview Charter

#15 Manual Arts at #2 Stella

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Matches at 4 p.m. unless noted)

Quarterfinals

DIVISION I

#9 North Hollywood at #1 SOCES

#5 L.A. University at #4 San Pedro

#14 L.A. Marshall at #11 Lincoln

#7 Sun Valley Poly at #2 Granada Hills Kennedy

DIVISION II

#8 Carson at #1 South East

#13 Panorama at #5 Alliance Levine

#11 Maywood CES vs. #3 Grant / #14 South Gate

#15 Reseda at #7 Verdugo Hills

Note: Quarterfinals (Divisions IIII-V) Fri., Oct. 30 or Sat., Oct. 31 at higher seeds; Semifinals (all divisions) Tues., Nov. 3 at higher seeds; Finals (all divisions) Fri., Nov. 6 or Sat., Nov. 7 (times and sites TBD).

The alleged incident happened in the final minute of the Group C match in Baku.

Immediately following the allegation, England head coach Matt Thorpe was seen on the match coverage on DAZN asking for the referee to come over, before calling his players off the pitch.

After an initial report from Thorpe, the referee told England’s coaching staff, “I cannot hear”.

One of Thorpe’s assistant coaches can then be heard telling the referee “we are reporting racism”, before adding “we do not want to play”.

When another official came over, talking about what would happen after the match, the assistant told him: “No, our players do not want to play”.

He was later heard saying that a player was “upset”.

Heated words were then exchanged between each set of coaching staff, with both saying they were trying to protect their players.

This is the first time the U15 World Cup and Festival has been played, and involves 189 countries and territories.

Matches are played in an eight-a-side format, on smaller pitches, with 20-minute halves.

England are scheduled to play their next match against Zimbabwe at 20:45 local time (16:45 GMT) on Monday, with Republic of Ireland facing Cambodia at the same time.

Leo Walta scored the tying goal in the 62nd minute, and LAFC clinched a playoff spot by rallying from two goals down in the second half for a 2-2 draw with the Galaxy on Sunday night.

Joseph Paintsil scored his first two goals since August as the Galaxy hung on impressively for a point, but endangered their own playoff hopes by blowing the lead in another thrilling El Tráfico derby.

The final seconds of injury time were breathtaking: Galaxy goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski and defender Justin Haak both made spectacular stops on LAFC chances before Denis Bouanga scored on a redirection of Tyler Boyd‘s bicycle kick — only for the play to be ruled offside.

Bouanga scored the first goal for LAFC, which is headed to the MLS playoffs for the eighth time in its nine seasons of existence. LAFC is currently sixth in the Western Conference standings, while the Galaxy sit ninth.

The El Tráfico series remains even at 10 wins and 10 losses apiece with eight draws.

LAFC has produced one win and three draws from four matches since interim head coach Xavi Tamarit took over for the fired Marc Dos Santos on Oct. 1.

Son Heung-min thought he had scored on a rebound of Bouanga’s shot midway through the first half, but the play was ruled offside and confirmed by a lengthy video review. Moments later, the Galaxy’s Robert Taylor intercepted a pass and set up Paintsil to hammer home his first goal in a competitive match since Aug. 19.

Paintsil doubled the Galaxy’s lead in the 51st minute when Hugo Lloris spilled a rebound directly to him. LAFC fans threw drinks at the celebrating Galaxy players after both of their goals.

But just two minutes later, LAFC’s Armindo Sieb ripped a shot off a counterattack and Bouanga chipped home the rebound for his 18th goal in 30 MLS matches this season.

LAFC remained on the attack and tied it when Emiro Garces’ defensive misplay allowed Walta to score his second goal in the Finnish international’s four matches with the club.

The Galaxy played without star German midfielder Marco Reus, a late scratch due to illness. Striker Hirving “Chucky” Lozano is also out with a hamstring injury that occurred during international duty with Mexico.

Beacham writes for the Associated Press.

Match of the Day pundits Toby Alderweireld and Ashley Williams analyse Manchester United’s 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth, with Alderweireld suggesting there is no “togetherness” among the United squad.

MATCH REPORT: Manchester United 0-3 Bournemouth

Available to UK users only.

Barcelona have arrived in Paris for the Champions League match at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT.

The upcoming UEFA Champions League match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Barcelona will not be postponed or cancelled despite the ongoing violent protests in France, the country’s Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has said.

Lecornu said on Monday he had asked regional authorities to impose “partial” and “localised” curfews in some cities to protect businesses after weekend demonstrations spilled over into some of the worst street violence in recent years.

He said a state of emergency could be imposed “if necessary”, adding that curfews were a better solution to the crisis over violent protests.

“I am absolutely determined to restore order,” Lecornu said at a news conference after a crisis meeting.

“A state of emergency is still a very serious measure, including in terms of its implementation. So if it is necessary, of course we could do it. As things stand, however, the issue of curfews, and the implementation of those curfews, seems better suited to the situation we may be facing.”

He did not say which cities ‌‌would impose partial curfews nor what form they would take, although he ruled out imposing a full curfew across Paris.

“These curfews must be local and partial. It is out of the question to put all of Paris ⁠⁠under curfew.”

At the same news conference, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told reporters there were no plans to cancel the ⁠⁠match.

PSG, the reigning European and French champions, will host the Spanish visitors at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday night.

The fate of the match, touted as the pick of the group-stage fixtures in European football’s premier club competition, has been under threat after days of protests across the French capital and beyond.

However, neither club has indicated that the violence will affect the fixture, as Barcelona were arrived across their northern border to Paris on Monday afternoon.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 19:00 GMT on Tuesday.

The weekend of riots and looting has not spared French clubs, such as Marseille and Lille. The Ligue 1 clubs said their shops were vandalised during the protests.

Marseille said in a statement on Monday the looters caused “significant damage” to its official store located on La Canebiere — the southern port city’s most famous avenue — which has been temporarily closed.

Up north, Lille’s city centre store “suffered extensive damage and widespread looting”, the club said, adding that the shop will remain closed until further notice.

Lille thanked “everyone who has offered their support over the past few hours — first and foremost, our store employees, but also the many passersby, whether supporters or not, who spontaneously stepped forward to offer their help, practical assistance and comfort”.

Croatia’s Hajduk Split hosted Ajax on Thursday, but chants for pre-World War II regime precede UEFA Europa League game.

Croatian leaders have slammed pro-Nazi and anti-Semitic chants by Hajduk Split football fans before their UEFA Conference League match against Ajax, while Israel’s embassy voiced shock.

Groups of Hajduk Split fans, known as the Torcida, marched through the coastal town of Split before Thursday’s match chanting: “Crush the Jews”, “Rise up Adolf (Hitler)” and “Let’s go Ustasha”, referring to the country’s World War II pro-Nazi regime, local media reported.

Dozens of fans were detained before Thursday’s match for violence. During the match, Torcida fans set off flares and other pyrotechnics in the stands, forcing more than a 10-minute stoppage.

An investigation was opened into the pro-Nazi chants and suspects are being detained, police said.

President Zoran Milanovic in a Friday statement condemned the incident as “unacceptable and shameful”.

He urged swift action against the perpetrators to “show that there is no place in Croatia for the glorification of Nazism and Ustasha ideology”.

Israel’s embassy in Zagreb said on X it was “deeply shocked by the serious antisemitic incident that took place in Split and condemns it in the strongest possible terms”.

Conservative Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic also condemned “messages of anti-Semitism … completely at odds with the values we want to uphold in Croatian society”.

Hajduk Split, who won the game 2-1, in a statement apologised to UEFA and Ajax who “witnessed scenes which we do not want Europe to remember”, while the Croatian football federation also condemned the incident.

Croatia’s ultra-nationalist hardcore supporters have tainted the country’s image for years, notably by chanting pro-fascist slogans and displaying Ustasha symbols.

The Ustasha regime killed and persecuted hundreds of thousands of ethnic Serbs, Jews, Roma and antifascist Croatians.

Croatia were docked a point by UEFA after their fans painted a swastika on the pitch in Split in 2015, before a Euro 2016 qualifier with Italy.

The perpetrators were never found.

In recent years, the country has seen a growing tolerance for its pro-Nazi past, and critics accuse authorities of failing to sanction the use of Ustasha emblems.

Ali: The stakes are high for both contenders, yet I wonder how many Angelenos will be watching.

It’s surprising the number of otherwise politically aware folks who had no idea the debate was taking place tonight until I mentioned it. Then they were irked to find it airing on network TV: “Who still has cable?!” Apparently, venturing onto Telemundo or NBC’s live feed is a bridge too far. But it shouldn’t be.

Raman is still a mystery to many, even though she’s polling ahead. Tonight, she needs to definitively show who she is beyond The Candidate Who Is Not Karen Bass. Bass has to defend her record, of course, but also contend with the electorate’s insatiable need for change — even if they know very little about what that change may bring.

As for the rest of us? Tune in! The future of L.A. requires your attention.

Lopez: Picking up on Gustavo’s framing of the debate as Round 3, we’re talking about two pugilists who used to fight for the same club, more or less, and now enter the ring looking to take each other out. So it’s personal, and could indeed get nasty.

Raman’s job in the debate is a little easier, in some ways. Though I don’t put much stock in polls, she’s ahead on points by virtue of Bass’ high negative rating alone. And yet, think of the pressure on Raman to seal the deal.

If the challenger doesn’t prevail tonight and go on to win the election next month, she could be setting herself up for a lonely political future, having alienated more than a few former allies in her quest to evict the mayor from City Hall.

For Bass, the stakes are just as high. A 21-year political career is on the line.

I hope that along with the punches and counter-punches, we get some inspiration, too, and a workable game plan for making a great but troubled city a better place to call home, even if the Dodgers end up breaking our hearts.

Arellano: Will the Third Bass-Raman debate be a classic — or a dud?

Ali-Frazier. Morales-Barrera. Liddell-Couture. Trilogies are hallowed in the worlds of boxing and mixed-martial arts as case studies of evenly matched rivals to wallop each other in the first two matches, creating the setting for a final showdown and chance at eternal bragging rights — and usually, a title.

Will tonight’s bout between L.A. mayoral candidates Karen Bass and Nithya Raman, scheduled to air at 7 p.m. on KNBC, rise to those rarified levels?

The makings of a classic are there. Bass was the wily incumbent during her primary face-off with Raman who let fellow mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt land most of the attacks against their shared opponent. That left Raman uttering loopy word salads when she wasn’t crying conspiracy between the two. But the council member nevertheless made it into the general election against Bass, and dominated their second debate, hosted in August by the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Assn.

All of a sudden, Bass was a staggering champion lunging at a revived Raman, who swung and stung and ducked the way only a hungry up-and-comer can.

The two go into their rubber match each promoting polls that they claim show voters back them, while letting proxies launch attack ads that promise to get uglier and more ubiquitous as Election Day nears. Expect Bass at tonight’s debate to try and assert her dominance early with equal part offense against Raman and defense of her record. Expect Raman, whom City Hall opponents have long trashed as conflict-averse, to focus on a message of possibility and positivity while holding her ground and striking back — and hard — when necessary.

Will tonight cement the Bass-Raman trilogy as an electoral classic — or end it on a deflating note? One thing’s for sure: the two need to leave everything on the debate stage if either wants to win and get that much closer to become L.A.’s Madam Mayor.

A human defeated two of the three robots he faced in a cage fight recently held in San Francisco.

The humans behind that fight could face a battle of their own — the legal type — if they want to hold another event like “Human Vs. Robot,” the Sept. 18 competition that placed influencer Frankie LaPenna inside an octagon to battle three humanoid robots that were controlled remotely by a human operator in separate MMA-style fights.

REK (Robot Entertainment Kombat), the “humanoid robot fighting” company that staged the event, billed it as the “first human vs. robot fight in history.” Videos of the bouts have combined for more than 10 million views on YouTube.

Not everyone is a fan. On Sept. 23, the California State Athletic Commission sent a cease-and-desist order to REK, its CEO Cix Liv and “all persons holding, promoting, advertising or sponsoring unsanctioned human versus humanoid robot cage fight.”

The letter states that “any boxing or mixed martial arts contest, match, or exhibition, involving any human in the State of California” requires the prior approval of the commission and that it is a misdemeanor to hold such an event without obtaining a license or permit from the state.

A spokesperson for the California Department of Consumer Affairs, which oversees the CSAC, said in a statement emailed to The Times that the commission is “committed to protecting the safety of the public and integrity of combat sports.”

“Unsanctioned activity puts the physical and financial well-being of all those involved at risk and such activity will not be tolerated,” the statement said.

An X post by Liv on Sept. 30 indicated he’s not overly concerned about the cease-and-desist order.

“We made it boys,” he wrote in the post, which also included a photo of the commission’s letter.

Liv said in an email to The Times on Tuesday that REK did not seek CSAC approval before the event “because the law clearly states it is not a real boxing match if it doesn’t include ‘two persons,’” rather than a human vs. a humanoid robot controlled by a human.

“So they can argue in court that actuators are somehow persons,” he said. “The case would give us nonstop media coverage, even if we incurred a fine.”

LaPenna also appeared to make light of the cease-and-desist order in a pair of X posts on Oct. 1.

“I fought a robot and within 12 days the state of California passes a new law saying no more robot vs. human fights,” wrote LaPenna, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this article.

He added in the second post: “Good work Cix, you disrupted the system.”

According to Liv, LaPenna pushed for the opportunity to face humanoid opponents in the cage.

“We felt the robots were ready to fight amateur fighters like Frankie, but not actual MMA fighters yet,” Liv said.

The 29-year-old content creator signed a full waiver of liability, but “we didn’t actually want to hurt him,” Liv added.

The written description accompanying a “Human vs. Robot” video posted on REK and LaPenna’s YouTube pages states that “there was no predetermined outcome, both Frankie and Nick, the robot operator were told to try their best.”

Wearing spiked gloves, a helmet and protective padding, the 5-foot-6, 205-pound LaPenna held his own against all three bots. He dominated his first opponent, referred to at the fight as “the child robot.” Next came an imposing “Terminator”-inspired humanoid, which was listed on the fight video as 6-feet and 200 pounds with a kick force of 850 pounds.

The robot landed several hard kicks, including one that knocked LaPenna across the mat and another with an impact that brought the humanoid to the ground and caused its head to come off — but the human seemed to gain strength as the match went on and eventually stood triumphantly with his foot on the machine’s crumpled body.

LaPenna was dominant early in his final match, in which he faced a robot that resembled a “Predator” from the movies of the same name. After landing several punches and kicks and taking his opponent to the ground multiple times, LaPenna eventually became fatigued and called for the match to be ended.

“He doesn’t get tired. He doesn’t stay down,” LaPenna said in a postmatch interview. “Just keeps getting up. I thought he’d be dead.”

According to Liv, LaPenna emerged from the bouts basically unscathed. “The only damage he experienced was hurting his hand a bit by punching metal,” Liv said.

Since then, REK has turned its attention back to all-robot fights, although Liv said the company eventually plans to stage more human vs. humanoid bouts.

“We are avoiding it for now,” Liv said. “CSAC has no legal case but it may not be worth the battle. We may just do it in Vegas or a state that is less lame.”

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