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Wales have reached the play-off stages of qualification for a major tournament for only the third time in the history of the women’s national side.

Their first attempt, in qualifying for the 2023 World Cup, ended in agony.

Gemma Grainger’s team beat Bosnia-Herzgovina at the semi-final stage before – despite taking an early lead – losing out to a goal late in extra time of the final in Switzerland.

Two years later, it was an entirely different story as Wales overcame Slovakia and the Republic of Ireland to reach Euro 2025, the first women’s major tournament in the nation’s history.

Thanks in part to a lengthy injury list, James is one of only five players who began the decisive game in Dublin 22 months ago who are in contention to start against Albania.

The 146-cap Seattle Reign midfielder was also part of the side left heartbroken by that late defeat in Zurich in October 2022.

“[They were] two very different feelings after both games,” James said.

“The feeling that we had out in Switzerland, going so close in extra time and narrowly missing out, it fuelled us for Dublin.

“There’s a big group of us that experienced that and at the start of this camp we made sure the whole group was aware of how it feels to be on both ends of that.”

MILWAUKEE — The Dodgers spent $163 million on the back end of their bullpen the past two years. The Milwaukee Brewers did not.

So two games into the National League Championship Series, guess which team’s relief corps has been lights out and which one has been lit up? (Spoiler alert: it’s not the team with all the money.)

Milwaukee sent a parade of four relievers to the mound for a second straight game Monday, and for a second straight game they didn’t give up a run, retiring the last 15 Dodgers in order in a 7-4 win that gives Milwaukee a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, which moves to Dodger Stadium for Game 3 on Wednesday.

The Brewers’ bullpen has pitched 9 2/3 innings in the series, yielding just two hits — both off Abner Uribe — and three walks. That’s it. Both wins have gone to relievers, DL Hall in the opener and JoJo Romero in Game 2.

Dodger relievers, meanwhile, have pitched 9 1/3 innings in the two games, giving up four runs on nine hits. Reliever Brock Stewart took the loss Monday.

In a series that’s rapidly shaping up as a battle of the bullpens, the Dodgers clearly aren’t getting what they paid for.

“I don’t have an answer,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shrugged when asked why the Dodgers relievers have struggled while the Brewers have shined. “I know that they’ve got good arms; so do we. I think they’re just finding ways to win pitches better than we are.”

Slugger Max Muncy has a theory on the same question.

“They’re really good,” he said.

The Brewers’ 48 bullpen wins was the most in baseball during the regular season and its 3.40 ERA was best in the National League. And it has been even better in the postseason, giving up just one earned run in 28 2/3 innings against the Dodgers and San Diego Padres. In the divisional era (since 1969), only the 1991 Minnesota Twins have a lower bullpen ERA through six playoff games and with a reliever earning the victory in all five of Milwaukee’s postseason wins, the Brewers have done something only the 2014 Kansas City Royals had done previously.

“There’s a reason they’re where they’re at right now and the bullpen’s a big piece of that,” Muncy said. “If there is a positive, you can say that a lot of our guys are starting to get looks at their back-end guys. But when they’re as good as they are, I don’t know how much that helps.

“They’re all throwing 100 [mph] plus and they all have really nasty stuff.”

Especially Aaron Ashby, who has pitched in both games, holding the Dodgers to a walk in 3 2/3 innings, striking out three. He’s the Brewers’ best-paid reliever, earning $5.5 million this season.

The Dodgers have three relievers making at least twice that — and one of them, Blake Treinen, didn’t even make the postseason roster. One of the others, Tanner Scott, gave up twice as many runs in his first postseason appearance as the Brewers’ bullpen has given up this month.

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Abner Uribe celebrates after completing the seventh inning of Game 2 of the NLCS.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

“They attack the hitters,” Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández said of Milwaukee’s relievers. “They throw strikes. They got good stuff. They throw hard. We’ve just got to do a better job.”

Hernández then echoed Muncy in pointing out the Dodgers have now seen six of Milwaukee’s nine relievers, with Ashby and Uribe throwing in both games. And while the Dodgers haven’t done anything against them yet, that familiarity could help going forward.

“We know what we’re going to get,” Hernández said.

Brewers manager Pat Murphy conceded the point — sort of.

“Familiarity, as the numbers tell us, does provide an edge,” he said. “So what we try to do is make sure they don’t face the same guys the next time they pitch if they’re one-inning guys.

“Can’t always do that.”

Sometimes you can, though. Uribe, who has appeared in all six Brewers games this postseason, has already faced eight Dodger hitters in the series, but only one of them, Andy Pages, twice. And when he does face someone a second time, Murphy said with a smile, who’s to say he’ll him pitch the same way?

“Uribe might have something up his sleeve based on how those other times went,” he said. “Like, well, I never gave him this.’”

That would count as a surprise. However the dominant performance of the Brewers’ bargain-basement bullpen would not. Because even in baseball, the Dodgers are finding out, there are some things money can’t buy.

Ferdi Kadioglu (Brighton): He makes a massive block in the second half, which would have made it 1-1, and if the floodgates open it would be a problem. He is not known for his defensive skills, but he was great.

Jefferson Lerma (Crystal Palace): A centre-midfielder playing at centre-back. He scored a goal, made some big tackles, and was also was able to play out from the back, being the catalyst for Palace, so he goes in as well.

James Justin (Leeds): I know he loves playing against Arsenal, but the transformation he has had from when he was at Leicester to Leeds – the ability to play right wing-back, right centre-back. Everything that he gives you in that situation, he’s just a joke of a centre-back. I don’t believe he gets anywhere near enough credit. An unbelievable goal and he could have had more on the day.

Ethan Pinnock (Coventry): When he moved to Coventry from Brentford, I thought, that’s a dodgy one for Coventry. He is decent, but he doesn’t move the needle. How wrong was I? He has been excellent. A big physical presence, but also has that calming influence to talk others through games, and you can see since he’s been in the team, Coventry have got better week-on-week.

Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal): He’s probably Arsenal‘s best forward at the moment. Getting in really good positions, defensively solid, but also offers you a lot from assists and goals.

Sean and Heidi Cripe will never forget the call from their son’s high school saying Davis was being taken to the emergency room.

“He chugged an energy drink — like, just trying to be cool,” said Sean Cripe, recounting the day nearly a decade ago.

The teen’s heart soon fell out of rhythm and he died. While such deaths are rare, doctors across the country have warned for years that energy drinks contain high levels of caffeine that can seriously harm children, causing problems such as abnormal heartbeats, increased heart rate, sleep disturbances, dehydration, agitation, high blood pressure and seizures.

A newly formed coalition of doctors is highlighting these risks in the wake of a sponsorship deal between Monster Energy and the Big 12 Conference college athletic organization. The group has asked conference leaders to pause the sponsorship and the NCAA to review energy drink marketing to youths in general, citing the deaths of three children including Davis, a 16-year-old from South Carolina.

The doctors stress that they’re not just concerned about Monster but all energy drinks and any similar partnerships.

“Kids are going to see energy drinks now promoted by the universities and the athletes that they admire and want to emulate,” said Dr. Matthew Nelson, an Idaho cardiologist involved with the effort. “The kids will think of them as sports drinks, which they’re not.”

Too much caffeine can harm kids in many ways

Various medical groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, say children and teens should avoid energy drinks altogether. Yet many are not. According to the latest results of the federally funded Monitoring the Future survey, run by the University of Michigan, 23% of 12th-graders, 20% of 10th-graders and 18% of eighth-graders reported consuming energy drinks daily.

Depending on the product, caffeine content can range from 80 to 300 mg per serving. By comparison, a typical 8-ounce coffee contains about 80 to 100 mg and some sodas contain 50 mg or less. Overall, the pediatrics academy recommends children ages 12 to 18 limit caffeine to 100 mg a day. Younger kids are discouraged from consuming any caffeine.

Caffeine and other stimulants increase heart rate and the reactivity of the nervous system — basically “how fast things go in the body, which can create an overload of the system,” said Dr. Tamara Hannon, an Indiana pediatrician who chairs the academy’s nutrition committee.

She likened it to running a blender until the motor heats up too much. “The same thing can happen when you deliver stimulants to people,” she said. “The heart can wear out, the nervous system can go haywire and you can have really serious consequences.”

Mixing different types of caffeine can be risky

Children with preexisting conditions such as high blood pressure are at especially high risk, Hannon said, but even healthy children who get too much of a stimulant can have serious problems. That includes young athletes.

Another consideration: Kids often drink various types of caffeinated beverages. That was the case with Davis Cripe, who died in 2017. According to the coroner at the time, Davis had no prior heart condition and drank a Mountain Dew and a latte from McDonald’s earlier in the day. He experienced arrhythmia after having the energy drink.

It wasn’t the first time Davis drank one, although he didn’t consume them regularly.

“We had talked to him and let him know that they weren’t healthy,” Sean Cripe said. “We didn’t understand they could be deadly.”

Trade group says the energy drink industry tries to protect kids

The American Beverage Assn. — which includes Monster and other companies comprising 94% of the energy drink category — said members voluntarily disclose caffeine totals on product labels, which carry advisories such as: “Not intended for children, pregnant or nursing women, or persons sensitive to caffeine.” Members also don’t sell or market energy drinks in K-12 schools.

Monster Energy said in a statement that caffeine and other drink ingredients are found in a broad variety of food products. “Mainstream energy drinks have been marketed worldwide for more than 30 years and more than 100 billion energy drinks have been sold and safely consumed globally,” the company added.

The deal between Big 12 and Monster calls for a co-branded logo on football and basketball jerseys, fields and courts, and across digital and social media channels.

“The energy drink category is not new to collegiate athletics,” the Big 12 Conference said in a statement, adding that beverage companies are always looking for ways to reach sports fans.

The NCAA doesn’t have the authority to regulate conference or school sponsorship agreements, Dr. Deena Casiero, the association’s chief medical officer, told the doctor group in a letter. She said the association offers schools educational resources on caffeine and student-athlete health, and caffeine has been a topic of interest for an NCAA committee, which recently commissioned a cardiac advisory group.

How to educate kids about excess caffeine

To protect children, teachers and coaches can educate them about the dangers of too much caffeine and the difference between energy drinks and sports drinks, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sports drinks are designed to help replace water and electrolytes lost through sweating after activity.

Parents and other adults can also model good behavior by not consuming energy drinks in front of kids.

On a related topic, Harvard Medical School experts say there’s no scientifically valid evidence behind the common belief that caffeine can stunt a person’s growth.

At well visits, parents should talk with pediatricians about all the beverages their children are consuming, said Hannon, who often advises families to “Rethink your drink.”

Sean Cripe said sharing stories like his could also help children understand that energy drinks are not for them.

Ungar writes for the Associated Press.

The Atlanta Dream made it to the WNBA Finals, which is obviously a good thing.

In fact, it’s so good that many fans will surely want to come out and support the team when it hosts Games 3 and 4, plus Game 6 if needed, against the Golden State Valkyries.

And that could be a problem. Gateway Center Arena in College Park, Ga., where the team has played most of its home games since 2021, seats only 3,500 people for basketball games.

The Dream played six regular-season games and all three home playoff games this season at the Atlanta Hawks’ State Farm Arena, which holds around 17,000 and will be the Dream’s official home venue starting next season. But that facility is booked for all three dates the team would need it, with a Sombr concert slated for Oct. 22 and Hawks regular-season games on Oct. 24 and 29.

So, what’s a franchise playing in its first WNBA Finals since 2013 to do?

It’s not a rhetorical question. The team hasn’t announced where their home games in the series will be played, and tickets for the
games in Atlanta have yet to go on sale.

Last week, Dream president Morgan Shaw Parker said they were “finalizing details” on where the team’s home games will be played during the Finals. Efforts to move the games to larger area venues, such as Gas South Arena (around 13,000 seats) and Georgia Tech’s McCamish Pavilion (8,600 seats), have hit snags, according to USA Today.

The Dream did not immediately respond Monday to questions from The Times. The WNBA referred questions back to the Dream.

The Valkyries play their home games at Chase Center in San Francisco, which seats around 18,000 people. A Doja Cat concert originally scheduled for Oct. 19 was rescheduled to Oct. 25 to avoid conflict with Game 2 of the WNBA Finals.

If the Dream can’t relocate the games, this wouldn’t be the first time WNBA Finals were held in a small venue: In 2019, the Washington Mystics hosted three games at their home venue (known now as CareFirst Arena), which seats about 4,200 people.

Led by Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray, former UCLA star Jordin Canada and 2026 defensive player of the year Angel Reese, fourth-seeded Atlanta swept through the first two rounds of the playoffs, dismissing No. 5 Washington and No. 8 New York.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Coventry backed up their victory at Nottingham Forest before the international break, scoring four goals in the top flight for the first time since a 4-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday in May 2000.

Those around the Sky Blues’ training ground at Ryton feel that, if they are competitive over the next seven games, they will have a platform for survival.

A trip to Tottenham and the visit of Fulham – both winless – come next, with games against Sunderland, Everton, Crystal Palace, Leeds and Ipswich to take them into December.

“It’s big and we have to tap into that in a good way, in a humble way,” said Lampard, whose side are now 14th.

“We have to be excited and I’m seeing players in my eyes that are developing quite quickly.

“A lot of players had low Premier League minutes, or zero Premier League minutes – Jack Rudoni, [Brandon] Thomas Asante, [Ephron] Mason-Clark, a lot of them.

“So is it human nature in the first few games we’ve had two top teams in the league (Arsenal and Manchester City) and we’ve had Brighton and we’ve gone: ‘hmm, it’s not easy here’.

“This [win] gives good confidence, so it’s the balance of confidence against overconfidence. But it’s great when you have a template of feeling when you get a result of that level.”

It can be a defining six weeks for Lampard’s men after a resounding, if not perfect, win against Newcastle.

Coventry’s previous home games had seen them fall to a 1-0 defeat by fellow promoted side Hull before a 5-0 thumping by Brighton.

Sandwiched in the middle was a 3-1 loss to Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup, meaning it was imperative they found form at the CBS Arena.

“We’re going to be a relative underdog in pretty much every game,” added Lampard. “So we have to maximise everything and be on the limit and I thought we were on the limit in loads of ways.

“They need to keep their feet on the ground because the next one’s tough and the one after that will be tough.

“But we look like a team that [will make it] hard for teams to come here. That’s the feeling we haven’t quite had in our first CBS games this season.”

An autographed Chicago Bulls jersey worn by Michael Jordan during Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals was privately sold to a Miami real estate investor for $14 million, an auction house announced Monday. The price is believed to be the highest ever paid for basketball memorabilia.

A game-worn red road jersey was purchased by Ron Firman, according to Philadelphia-based Hunt Auctions. Jordan wore it June 5, 1998, while scoring 37 points in the Bulls’ victory over the Utah Jazz. The Bulls went on to win the series in six games, giving Jordan his sixth and final championship.

This is the third Jordan jersey from the 1998 Finals that has sold for more than $10 million. Jordan’s Game 3 white home jersey was auctioned in September for $12.26 million and his Game 1 red road jersey was sold at auction for $10.09 million in 2022.

“While Michael Jordan’s importance within the sports memorabilia marketplace has long been established, it has now escalated to an elite asset class more typically reserved for iconic works of art,” said David Hunt, president of Hunt Auctions, in a statement.

Firman’s X account describes him as a “Commercial Real Estate Co. Principal. Partner in private co. who’s trading is comparable to a hedge fund’s. Rare Vintage Sports Memorabilia Collector.”

His most recent post came Nov. 29, 2022, and features a signed photo of Joe DiMaggio belting a single in the seventh inning of the 42st consecutive game he recorded a hit in 1941, setting an American League record. DiMaggio extended the streak to 56 games, a Major League record that still stands.

Firman also recently set a record by spending $3 million for a 1951 Mickey Mantle first-generation photo used as the basis for Mantle’s celebrated 1952 Topps rookie card. Now Firman owns another piece of legendary memorabilia. The Bulls’ 1997-98 season was the subject of the “Last Dance” documentary series released in 2020.

“Michael Jordan was an incredibly talented player who is admired around the world,” Firman said in a statement distributed by Hunt Auctions. “I’m very excited about the purchase.”

The only game-worn jersey publicly to fetch more than $14 million was worn by Babe Ruth when he supposedly called his shot before hitting a home run against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series. That jersey sold for $24.12 million in 2024 at Heritage Auctions, setting a world record for the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia. It appreciated more than 25 times from the $940,000 it went for in 2005.

“In our opinion, and 36 years of market experience, Babe Ruth and Michael Jordan stand above all others in the history of American sports,” Hunt said. “The record-setting price achieved for the related Michael Jordan jersey is yet another corroborative result as to the significance of Jordan within the industry and popular culture.”

A Michael Jordan jersey from his ‘Last Dance’ season has sold for $14m (£10.6m), a record for a piece of basketball memorabilia.

Jordan wore the Chicago Bulls jersey during game two of the 1998 NBA Finals and has autographed it too.

He scored a game-high 37 points that evening before ending his last season with the Bulls with a 4-2 series win for his sixth and final NBA Championship. He was named the Finals’ Most Valuable Player in all six.

The only item of sports memorabilia that has cost more is the jersey worn by baseball legend Babe Ruth when he “called the shot” during the 1932 World Series, which was sold for $24.1m (£18.2m) in 2024.

The previous high for a basketball item was a card featuring Jordan and Kobe Bryant from 2007-08 which sold for $12.9m (£9.8m) last year.

The previous record for a piece of game-worn Jordan memorabilia was set just two weeks ago when his jersey from game three of the 1998 Finals, which is not autographed, sold via auction for $12.3m (£9.3m).

The latest purchase was made by Miami real estate investor Ron Firman in a private sale through Hunt Auctions.

David Hunt, president of Hunt Auctions, said in a statement: “While Michael Jordan’s importance within the sports memorabilia marketplace has long been established, it has now escalated to an elite asset class more typically reserved for iconic works of art.”

UCLA senior starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava will miss the rest of this season with a knee injury, according to a person with knowledge of the injury not authorized to discuss it publicly.

The injury is a blow for the No. 12 Bruins, who are 5-0 during coach Bob Chesney’s first season and have a favorable path to a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Iamaleava sustained the injury at the end of the first half of UCLA’s win over Oregon.

The quarterback was running with the ball when he was spun around and was tackled. He grabbed his leg as he was hit in the head by Oregon’s Bear Alexander. Iamaleava briefly returned for one play and Chesney said during a halftime TV interview the quarterback was fine after getting hit in the quad.

Iamaleava, however, did not return with the team after halftime and eventually emerged from the locker room in the third quarter wearing street clothes.

UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava is examined by medical staff while coach Bob Chesney watches Saturday in Eugene, Ore.

(Lydia Ely / Associated Press)

Before his exit, Iamaleava went 10 of 17 passing for 162 yards and two interceptions. Through five games, the quarterback tallied 982 passing yards, 144 rushing yards, five total touchdowns and four interceptions.

After Saturday’s win, Chesney said that he thought Iamaleava injured his thigh, but he noted the injury may have been more extensive and it would require a full medical evaluation.

Senior quarterback Ty Dieffenbach, who had been listed third on the depth chart behind Iamaleava and his younger brother Madden, ran the UCLA offense during the second half. He completed three passes for 43 yards and one touchdown, helping the Bruins earn a 17-15 win.

“When someone goes down, and someone’s gotta step up, you’re either exposed or you’re revealed,” Chesney said. “One of the two is going to happen when your number gets called, and for Ty to step up in that moment when Nico couldn’t go and to put himself in the spot where he was revealed for knowing the run game, knowing what to get us into, the touchdown pass I thought he threw.”

Madden Iamaleava appeared in two games this season, taking over the offense against Purdue when his older brother went down with a shoulder injury and against Maryland with UCLA up multiple scores.

Chesney turned to Dieffenbach, who started last season at Cal Poly, during one of the biggest moments of the season. Dieffenbach said after the win he didn’t know he would be asked to lead the offense if Nico Iamaleava was knocked out.

UCLA quarterback Ty Dieffenbach prepares to receive the ball during a win over Oregon Saturday in Eugene, Ore.

(Lydia Ely / Associated Press)

The decision to play Dieffenbach instead of Madden was based on the game script and the threat of Dieffenbach in the ground game, Chesney said.

“We are really on a week-to-week basis here, and this week we felt like we had to run a little bit more with the quarterback possibly, and that’s where I felt Ty had a really nice week and that put us in that spot,” Chesney said. “This is just one of those things that I’m sure if Madden would’ve went in there, he would have done a phenomenal job as well. But I thought Ty was the guy we decided on at this moment based on the previous week of practice.”

Chesney and Dieffebach acknowledged that the fight for the UCLA backup spot never ends.

“Every week is a battle between me and Madden for the two-spot, and I mean both of us were executing in practice,” Dieffenbach said. “… When I heard that I was [going to play, it was] just tunnel vision, just ready to go execute.”

Prior to helping earn UCLA’s first victory at Autzen Stadium since 2004, Dieffenbach spent the 2025 campaign at Cal Poly, where he started 11 games, throwing for 1,305 yards, nine touchdowns and nine interceptions, alongside 321 ground yards and four scores.

Dieffenbach’s one-year stint in San Luis Obispo was preceded by two years at Pittsburgh, where he did not see any game action. The signal caller’s transfer to UCLA marked a return to Southern California for the Agoura High product, who started his high school career as a wide receiver but finished his three varsity seasons with 4,153 passing yards and 48 touchdowns.

Price says her focus is simply on Kotaskova, who took Cameron the distance in London in April.

Her loss on the scorecards at light-middleweight is her only defeat in a 15-fight career and will present a tough challenge for Price in her 11th fight since giving up her amateur status.

At one stage it had seemed as though all roads led to a showdown with Shields, with the two facing off after Price’s win over Pineiro earlier this year.

Shields called out Price as recently as August having reclaimed titles at middleweight.

A two-fight deal had been speculated but, when pressed on what happened, Price told BBC Sport Wales: “There was nothing on my side. The money wasn’t great, I wanted to fight in America and in Wales, but she wouldn’t come here, and there was no rematch clause.

“Everything basically was stacked against me and it just didn’t make sense.

“I have to stand on my own two feet and think: ‘I’m Lauren Price, I’m unified champion, Olympic gold medallist.’

“If I was towards the end of my career or if I had a few losses, absolutely you jump on it.

“But there’s no rush and there’s equally exciting fights out there.

“That fight will definitely happen, but only when it’s the right time and it makes sense.”

San Francisco 49ers receiver Mike Evans may have earned a spot in the trash-talking hall of fame on Sunday without even trying.

Or so he says.

Late in the second quarter of the 49ers’ 32-29 victory in Seattle, Fox Sports cameras showed Evans and Seahawks cornerback Trevon Diggs jawing after a play. In one of the season’s most meme-able moments so far, Evans put his hands on Diggs’ shoulder pads and turned the two-time Pro Bowl selection around to look at his name, as if to say, “Who are you?”

Diggs, a seven-year veteran who led the league with 11 interceptions in 2021 as a member of the Dallas Cowboys, appeared to be offended and shoved Evans in the facemask.

Retired cornerback and renowned trash-talker Richard Sherman, who played for both the Seahawks and 49ers during his 11-year career, gave Evans some high praise on X.

“Mike Evans Checking to see the name on the back of the Jersey is an all-time Gif and trash talk moment that I wish I would have thought of,” Sherman wrote.

Evans’ move was very similar to one from a 2019 viral clip in which Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews checked the back of then-career minor leaguer Scott Sabourin of the Ottawa Senators during a preseason game. (Sabourin would go on to play in 74 NHL games for four teams over seven seasons.)

But Evans, a five-time Pro Bowler in his first season with San Francisco after 12 years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, told reporters after the game that he was just trying to figure out his vocal opponent‘s identity.

“I was blocking him until the whistle, and then he said something, like I’m doing extra, something like that,” said Evans, who finished with seven catches for 113 yards and one touchdown. “I didn’t know that was him at first, because I played against him a few times and we always been cool, you know? He was a good player. I honestly didn’t know it was him, because in the helmet, it’s hard to tell sometimes.

“And we were just talking trash, and I think I like pushed him and then I was like, ‘Who are you?’ And I looked to make sure. ‘Oh, it’s f— Diggs.’”

Hmmmm, Diggs was a good player? Maybe Evans is a trash-talking master after all.

Who: Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United
What: UEFA Champions League, matchday 2
Where: Estadio Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain
When: Tuesday, October 13, at 9pm (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport will bring you all the build-up and live updates from 16:00 GMT.

Action in Europe’s premier club competition returns with a matchday two clash between in-form La Liga side Atletico Madrid and Premier League strugglers Manchester United.

There are contrasting moods in the camps ahead of Tuesday’s fixture in the Spanish capital.

Atletico are challenging Barcelona for the top spot in Spain’s top flight, while Man United are in the bottom half of England’s Premier League, several places below all their traditional rivals.

Left winger Alex Baena and striker Jonathan David have been running the show for Atletico, while playmaker Bruno Fernandes and marksman Bryan Mbeumo are trying to keep United’s hopes alive of turning things around.

Atletico and Man United are set to clash for only the fifth time in history and the third in the Champions League.

Here’s all you need to know about the match:

How have Atletico Madrid played this season?

Atletico have made a promising start to the 2026-27 La Liga season, as they sit in second place, five points adrift of leaders and title holders, Barcelona.

Of the eight league games they have played, Atletico have won six, drawn one and lost one.

One of those results included a feisty 2-1 derby win over giants Real Madrid.

How have Manchester United played this season?

United are experiencing one of their worst starts to a league campaign.

They are 12th in the Premier League standings with six points, having won only one of six matches (D3 L2).

Those defeats also include a controversial 1-0 loss to their bitter rivals, Manchester City.

What happened in the first round of Champions League matches?

Atletico suffered a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield in their first UCL match of the season, while Man United thrashed Azerbaijani club Sabah 4-0 in their campaign opener.

That keeps Atletico 25th and Man United fourth in the league phase of this year’s Champions League.

The top eight teams at the end of the league phase qualify directly to the knockout rounds.

Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United: Predictions

Opta’s supercomputer has given Atletico a 48.5 percent probability of victory, while Man United have a 27.2 percent chance and a draw is estimated at a likelihood of 24.3 percent.

Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United: Head-to-head

• Matches: 4
• Atletico wins: 2
• Man United wins: 0
• Draws: 2

Encounters:

• March 15, 2022: Manchester United 0-1 Atletico Madrid (Champions League)
• February 23, 2022: Atletico Madrid 1-1 Manchester United (Champions League)
• November 06, 1991: Manchester United 1-1 Atletico Madrid (UEFA European Cup Winners Cup)
• October 23, 1991: Atletico Madrid 3-0 Manchester United (UEFA European Cup Winners Cup)

Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United: Form guide

(Last five matches across all competitions, latest match first)

Atletico Madrid: W-W-W-W-L

Manchester United: D-D-L-L-W

Who are the top players to watch?

Alex Baena and Jonathan David (Atletico): Baena is in good form for club and country, with four goals and two assists for Atletico this season. Further up the pitch, centre-forward David has three goals and two assists.

Bruno Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo (Man United): Midfielder Fernandes, the United captain, has been the team’s top scorer with four goals in all competitions, while the playmaker also has an assist. Forward Mbeumo, meanwhile, has three goals and an assist.

What have the coaches said?

Diego Simeone (Atletico):

On Julian Alvarez failing to find the net so far this season: “I think strikers with Julian’s characteristics always need goals, not just him. It’s true that beyond his finishing, he’s a team player, a player that can link very well, he can assist and he’s got many more tools than just goalscoring.”

On facing Man United: “The game will be long, it will be tough and we have to manage our efforts to compete well.”

Michael Carrick (Man United): 

On United’s poor form: “We’ve got to stay positive and keep doing the right things. We need to do better and we need more points, of course we do.”

On facing Atletico: “We’ve got big games coming up and are looking forward to Tuesday now. A fresh start, a fresh game and we will go there looking forward to the game.”

Did you know?

• Atleti are unbeaten in the four meetings between the sides (W2 D2). Their most recent encounters came in the 2021-22 Champions League round of 16, where they drew 1-1 in Madrid before winning 1-0 in Manchester.
• Atleti also dethroned United as European Cup Winners’ Cup holders in 1991-92, winning the second-round tie 4-1 on aggregate (3-0 home, 1-1 away).
• United have lost only one of their last 11 matches against Spanish opponents (W7 D3). They beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 away and 4-1 at home in the last fixtures in the 2024-25 Europa League semifinals to make it three successive victories.
• United’s last 10 matches against Spanish opponents have produced 35 goals, an average of 3.5 per game.

Team news and predicted lineups

Atletico Madrid

Atletico have a fully fit squad.

Predicted starting XI:

Jan Oblak; Marc Pubill, Cristian Romero, David Hancko; Marcos Llorente, Pablo Barrios, Koke, Giuliano Simeone; Kang-in Lee, Alex Baena; Julian Alvarez

Manchester United

As many as five United players are out with injuries. Those include Patrick Dorgu (hamstring), Benjamin Sesko (shin), Tom Heaton (abdomen), Manuel Ugarte (knee) and Matthijs de Ligt (back).

Predicted starting XI:

Senne Lammens; Noussair Mazraoui, Leny Yoro, Lisandro Martinez, Diogo Dalot; Youri Tielemans, Kobbie Mainoo; Bryan Mbeumo, Bruno Fernandes, Matheus Cunha; Marcus Rashford

Magic Johnson is relentlessly positive, a quality that has served him well as a player, a businessman and even while living with HIV since 1991.

The former Lakers great generally keeps his social media comments upbeat. Yet, a last-second mental lapse Sunday by one of the five professional sports franchises Johnson co-owns prompted him to tweet the equivalent of a distress signal.

“I’m in total disbelief my Commanders had such poor clock management in today’s overtime game against the Giants. All we had to do was kick the field goal and we would have won the game!”

The tweet ended with an emoji of a man facepalming, conveying Johnson’s exasperation over the last play of Washington’s 27-27 tie with the New York Giants.

The Commanders were at the Giants 24-yard line with 12 seconds to play, no timeouts and the clock running. What needed to be done was obvious: Quarterback Jayden Daniels takes a snap, spikes the ball and the field-goal team trots out.

Nope. Daniels took a snap, danced around, was tackled and the clock expired.

Head coach Dan Quinn ripped off his headset and slammed it to the ground. Daniels stood on the field looking stunned. Johnson, who acquired 4% of the team when his pal Josh Harris bought it for $6.05 billion in 2023, vented on social media.

Johnson’s public comments are usually motivational gems such as “When you face a crisis, you know who your true friends are.” Or “Life doesn’t stop because something happens to you.” Or “I’m the one who will take chances, not worry about the backlash.”

When the Commanders lost their first two games this season, Johnson stayed silent. When they upset the Seattle Seahawks two weeks ago, Johnson took to his keyboard to congratulate the team, tweeting a photo of himself in a luxury box.

The last time he had expressed frustration about the Commanders on social media was three years ago, shortly after Harris became majority owner and Johnson had chipped in $240 million as a limited partner. On Oct. 5, 2023, he tweeted “Tonight the Commanders played with no intensity or fire. We didn’t compete in the first half and got down 27-3 heading into halftime. It was too big of a hole to climb out of and that is why we ended up losing 40-20.”

This time, he didn’t need nearly as many words. Quinn and Daniels both took responsibility for the lapse.

“The right call is honestly, we can go clock it early and don’t put ourselves in that spot,” Quinn said. “That’s my responsibility.”

Added Daniels, whose nonchalance after getting tackled seemed to indicate he thought his team had a timeout: “We’ve got to stop the clock. We’ve got to know the situation. We’ve got to relay that as an offense. It starts from everybody, from the top down. Ultimately, you know, it’s on me.”

For his part, Johnson could turn his attention to another of the teams in which he has a financial interest: the Dodgers, who lost Game 1 of the National League Championship Series to the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday. He remained mum about that game, having last posted several congratulatory tweets when the Dodgers sailed through the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves last week.

As well as announcing player deals, England also confirmed new-look backroom teams underneath Test head coach Stephen Fleming and white-ball counterpart Brendon McCullum.

Fleming has brought in Richard Dawson, who leaves his position as Glamorgan head coach, alongside former England wicketkeeper James Foster and South African Eric Simons. Fleming worked with both Foster and Simons at Indian Premier League side Chennai Super Kings.

Marcus Trescothick, who took interim charge of the Test team for the home series against Pakistan, remains with the red-ball team.

McCullum keeps the bulk of the staff who worked with him across formats: Sarah Taylor, Jeetan Patel and Tim Southee. Kevin Pietersen will also work with the white-ball teams in the run-up to the 50-over World Cup in southern Africa next year.

Of the 39 players handed England deals, 30 have full central contracts and nine are on development contracts.

The large number of players on England deals is a result of high-earners like Ben Stokes and Mark Wood retiring from international cricket and freeing up space in the budget.

Eleven players, including Test captain Joe Root and white-ball captain Harry Brook, are given two-year contracts.

In an unprecedented move for an uncapped player, pace bowler Henry Crocombe is also given a two-year contract.

———————————————————

England’s centrally contracted players: Joe Root* (Yorkshire), Harry Brook* (Yorkshire), Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire), Jofra Archer* (Sussex), Gus Atkinson* (Surrey), Sonny Baker* (Hampshire), Tom Banton (Somerset), Shoaib Bashir (Derbyshire), Jacob Bethell* (Warwickshire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Brydon Carse (Durham), Sam Cook (Essex), Jordan Cox* (Essex), Henry Crocombe* (Sussex/Surrey), Sam Curran* (Surrey), Liam Dawson (Hampshire), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Emilio Gay (Durham), Matthew Fisher (Surrey), Will Jacks* (Surrey), Dan Lawrence (Surrey), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Jamie Overton (Surrey), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Matthew Potts (Durham), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Phil Salt (Lancashire), Jamie Smith (Surrey), Josh Tongue* (Nottinghamshire)

*Denotes two-year deal through until 30 September 2028.

England development contracted players: James Coles (Sussex), Mason Crane (Glamorgan), Josh Hull (Leicestershire), Eddie Jack (Hampshire), Ben McKinney (Durham), Liam Patterson-White (Nottinghamshire), Thomas Rew (Somerset). Matthew Revis (Yorkshire), Mitch Stanley (Lancashire).

———————————————————

Crocombe is one of five specialist fast bowlers to be given a multi-year deal, joining Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker and Josh Tongue.

Before the Derby incident, Carse had not played for England since the Ashes in January because of a wrist injury.

Prior to the injury, the Durham man was an international regular across formats and was the only England seamer to play in all five Tests in Australia.

With inexperienced bowlers like Baker and Crocombe receiving longer contracts, Key was asked if a lack of extension for Carse revealed England’s feelings on his international future.

“No,” replied the former Kent batter. “I think it means if he gets a chance to come back and play for England he’s got to try to maximise his career and be the best bowler he possibly can be.

“That investigation is going on with the Regulator. I don’t know a lot about what happens in that investigation, because that is with them and we deal with that afterwards. There’s nothing really I can say about that. We haven’t had those conversations. We’ll find out more in due course. We’ll find out more when that investigation comes to a head.”

Along with Crocombe, Emilio Gay, Jordan Cox, Dan Lawrence, Tom Banton, Sam Cook and Matt Fisher are given full central contracts for the first time.

Ollie Robinson returns to the contract list after missing out for the past two years, rewarded following his superb return to the Test team in the home summer.

Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir keeps his deal and is the only specialist red-ball spinner on the list. However, Mason Crane and Liam Patterson-White are given developmental deals as an indication of how England could grow their Test spin-bowling options.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Another year, another NLCS. What happens this time? Let’s find out together.

Game 1 thoughts

—As always, this is written as the game is going on, and I don’t go back and change my opinions to match the outcome of the game, so I might write something in the second inning that looks dumb considering how the game ended. Baseball!

—I’m predicting Dodgers in six. They lose today. Win tomorrow. Win two of three at home, win Game 6 in Milwaukee.

—Dodgers won the past two World Series. Brewers were last in the World Series in 1982, when they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals.

—I’m not a big fan of the Fox pregame show.

—Jacob Misiorowski can throw the ball 104 mph. I once threw a baseball 104 … feet.

—His nickname is “The Miz,” but we all know there is only one Miz.

First inning

—Good to see Joe Davis back.

—There’s something about Ken Rosenthal that I find disquieting. Of course, I’m sure some people say the same about me.

—Nice play by Jake Bauers to open the game.

—Freddie Freeman seems like he says “don’t like that two-strike pitch, so I’ll foul it off.”

—And Will Smith‘s struggles continue. But, the Dodgers are making contact.

—The Dodgers seem to have a lot of PitchCom problems.

—Two strikeouts for Skubal, 15 pitches. No strikeouts for Misiorowski, 12 pitches.

Second inning

—Opponents are still pitching to Shohei Ohtani as if he is full-strength Ohtani.

—Andy Pages does it again. He does not look intimidated by any situation. Dodgers 1, Brewers 0.

—Great at-bat by Kyle Tucker. He has really been what they expected for the past six weeks. Already 40 pitches for Misiorowski.

—It would be really nice to get at least one more run here. Bases loaded, one out.

—Kiké grounds into a double play. More Clark Kent than Superman there. That could come back to haunt the Dodgers later.

—Tarik Skubal looks really good so far.

—As soon as I wrote that, he gives up a double. Sorry.

—Skubal has very wide open eyes. He looks perpetually astonished. Skubal: 29 pitches. Misiorowski: 47.

Third inning

—Dodgers waste a leadoff single by Mookie Betts. This could be important later.

—I got a lot of emails during this game disagreeing with me about John Smoltz, saying he talks way too much. I agree (I wrote that), but what he says is often insightful. He just needs to edit things down in his brain before it reaches his mouth.

Fourth inning

—A leadoff single by Teoscar. Will they waste this one? Insurance runs would be nice.

—No one has ever successfully explained a balk call. I think the umpiring crew decides before a game, “We need to call a balk today.”

—And the Dodgers can’t cash in. This could be important later.

—Misiorowski has made 85 pitches through four, so he probably has one more inning left in him.

—And now it’s tied. Dodgers 1, Brewers 1. By the way, in tribute to my old boss, Mike James: The game is not tied, the score is tied.

—It’s hard to see from the center-field camera. Stupid fireworks. What about those of us with asthma? First-world problems.

—Dodgers are down to their last challenge! For some reason I don’t find that as stressful as many others do.

—Don’t Brice Turang and Jake Bauers realize they aren’t supposed to hit left-handers well? Come on guys, get with the program.

—And a double play ends the inning.

—You know that swing Ohtani has in the New Balance commercial? That’s the swing he is missing. Maybe study that ad.

—Things I don’t need to see during a game while watching with my grandchildren: Ads for horror movies (like “Other Mommy.”) And that Sydney Sweeney ad.

—By the way, I need all you kids to get off my lawn. Darn neighborhood rapscallions.

Fifth inning

—That will be it for Misiorowski. 4 1/3 innings, five hits, three walks. Didn’t have his best stuff, but he battled. Seems like you should have more than one run when you get eight batters on base in 4 1/3.

—It is funny, though, to hear everyone praise the ace after he just went 4 1/3. I always think back to Fernando Valenzuela in Game 3 of the 1981 World Series. He pitched a complete game despite not having his best stuff, throwing 147 pitches, giving up nine hits and walking seven while defeating the Yankees, 5-4. Now that was battling without your best stuff.

—Another double play. Dodgers don’t get a left on base that inning, but really they did.

—Hey, a bunt! I thought those weren’t allowed anymore because they were a waste of an out.

—And the Brewers immediately cash in, something the Dodgers haven’t been able to do. Brewers 2, Dodgers 1.

—Skubal won’t last much longer.

—Gift hit for Jackson Chourio.

—Turang walked to load the bases. I can’t believe Skubal is still in the game.

—And Skubal escaped the jam. Dodgers are lucky to be trailing by only one.

Sixth inning

—Ohtani has become Bill Russell as a hitter.

—One thing the Dodgers do that is bothersome: When they fall behind, they seem to abandon their plan to make the pitcher work.

—Max Muncy with a hard single. The most underrated player on the team this season.

—And Pages strikes out. Another chance wasted.

—Alex Vesia is great.

Seventh inning

—It didn’t work out, but the Dodgers were less swing happy that inning.

—I find Brewers fans far less annoying than Braves fans.

—The five franchises to never win a World Series: Brewers, Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays.

—I wrote that before Fox put up the graphic with the same info. Really.

—Evan Phillips strikes out the side.

Eighth inning

—And the Dodgers strand another runner.

—Another bunt! Anarchy!

—First and second, one out. Can the Brewers cash in against Tanner Scott?

—Intentionally walking the bases loaded is a gutsy move.

—But it pays off.

Ninth inning

—Muncy, Pages and Tucker against Trevor Megill.

—Muncy pops out.

—Pages flies out.

—Tucker walks. Good at-bat.

—Can Josue De Paula, at 21 years old, be a Game 1 hero? (As former colleague Bob Cuomo would say, “Hero? How many lives did he save?”)

—De Paula walks. He feels no pressure ever. What a batting eye for one so young.

—Betts flied out. One final blown chance by the Dodgers.

—I should point out that the Dodgers were seventh in the majors this season in batting average with runners in scoring position at .262. The Brewers were second, .276. The Dodgers were seventh with two out and runners in scoring position at .241. The Brewers were ninth at .239.

Final score: Brewers 2, Dodgers 1.

Nothing to worry about. The Dodgers have trailed 1-0 before and won, and led 1-0 and lost. This is why they play seven games. We’ll be back tomorrow.

Poll results

We asked, “Who will win the NLCS?”

After 11,784 votes, the results”

Dodgers in six, 51.3%
Dodgers in five, 18.4%
Dodgers in seven, 15.8%
Brewers in six, 7.5%
Brewers in seven, 3.2%
Dodgers in four, 2.2%
Brewers in five, 1.4%
Brewers in four, 0.2%

Up next

Monday: Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto) at Milwaukee (Logan Henderson), 2 p.m., Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/Fox One

Wednesday at Dodgers, 5 p.m., Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/Fox One

Thursday at Dodgers, 6 p.m., Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/Fox One

*Friday at Dodgers, 6 p.m., Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/Fox One

*Sunday at Milwaukee, 5 p.m., Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/Fox One

*Monday, Oct. 19 at Milwaukee, 5 p.m., Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes/Fox One

All times Pacific

*-if necessary

In case you missed it

Plaschke: Dodgers could be in big trouble if Brewers steal their October swagger

Brewers get just enough off Tarik Skubal, draw first blood in NLCS Game 1 win

Dodgers Debate NLCS Game 1: Great pitching but no offense

Dodgers add Justin Wrobleski to NLCS roster, keep Miguel Rojas and drop Hyeseong Kim

Shaikin: ‘We responded to the moment’: Fred Claire’s lasting lesson for a former young assistant

Dodgers confident Shohei Ohtani will break out of his slump against Brewers

Shaikin: Here’s why the Dodgers-Brewers NLCS might have been decided in August

By not overextending itself vs. Braves, Dodgers’ rotation primed for success vs. Brewers

‘I just want chaos.’ Don’t expect Dodgers to sweep Brewers again in NLCS

And finally

Shohei Ohtani hits three home runs, strikes out 10 in Game 4 of the 2025 NLCS against the Brewers. Watch and listen here.

Until next time …

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Alexander Zverev is guaranteed to finish the 2026 season as the world number one after Carlos Alcaraz’s surprise defeat in the Shanghai Masters.

German Zverev was on course to climb above current world number one Jannik Sinner, who has been ruled out for the rest of the year with a knee injury.

Alcaraz still had a mathematical chance of stopping Zverev until he was beaten 7-5 7-6 (7-4) by Belgium’s Zizou Bergs in the third round on Monday.

“It’s been a fantastic season for me. Knowing that I will finish the year on top of the rankings is just a dream come true,” said Zverev.

After losing three major finals, Zverev landed the first Grand Slam title of his career by winning the French Open in June, and followed that with victory at the US Open last month.

The 29-year-old has taken advantage of the injury problems suffered by Spaniard Alcaraz and Italian Sinner – the dominant pair on the ATP Tour in the previous two seasons – to become the world’s leading player.

Zverev cannot overtake Sinner until 2 November at the earliest.

He will become the first German to end the year as number one, and the oldest player to achieve the feat for the first time.

After suffering a serious ankle injury in the 2022 French Open semi-finals which kept him out for seven months, Zverev regained his place in the upper echelons of the sport and been ranked inside the top four continuously since March 2024.

“So much work and effort have been put into achieving this goal, especially after coming back from the ankle injury. I look forward to finishing the season in style,” he said.

EXPLAINER

Atletico vs Man United and Man City vs PSG headline the Champions League match day two action as the competition returns.

The UEFA Champions League (UCL) 2026-27 enters its second round of matches this week, with 36 teams in action across Europe as clubs return to the elite football competition.

After the first set of league fixtures, two-time title holders Paris Saint-Germain lead the points table with three points, followed by six-time champions Bayern Munich and five-time winners Barcelona, who also won their opening matches.

The competition’s league phase format, now in its third year, started in September and runs until January 2027. It will be followed by the knockout rounds, with the champions crowned in early June.

Here’s all you need to know about this year’s competition:

What is the Champions League?

The Champions League is an annual club competition that features the best teams from across Europe.

This season marks the third time that 36 teams will participate in the main round, an increase from 32 under the old format.

What is the 2026-27 Champions League format?

Since 2003, the UCL has featured 32 clubs split into eight groups of four, with the top two from each section advancing to the last 16.

That has changed radically in recent years.

From the 2024-25 season, the 36 clubs are pooled into a single league in a “Swiss system” more commonly associated with chess.

Earlier, participating teams played six games in the group stage, facing each opponent home and away. Now, each club plays eight games, one each against eight different opponents.

How does the Champions League knockout format work?

At the end of the league phase, the top eight qualify directly for the knockouts, while those between the ninth and 24th places have to compete in two-legged knockout-phase playoffs.

Teams ranked 25th and below are eliminated.

The UCL knockout format is straightforward – it begins with the round of 16, followed by the quarterfinals, semifinals and the final.

When are the league phase and knockout matches?

The league phase matches are scheduled for:

• Match day 1: September 8-10
• Match day 2: October 13 and 14
• Match day 3: October 20 and 21
• Match day 4: November 3 and 4
• Match day 5: November 24 and 25
• Match day 6: December 8 and 9
• Match day 7: January 19 and 20
• Match day 8: January 27

The knockout phase matches are scheduled for (all dates in 2027):

• Playoffs: February 16, 17 and 23, 24
• Round of 16: March 9, 10 and 16, 17
• Quarterfinals: April 6, 7 and 13, 14
• Semifinals: April 27, 28 and May 4, 5
• Final: June 5

Which are the best Champions League matches to watch?

The key matches to follow on matchdays two and three are as follows:

Top five UCL matches to watch this week

• Arsenal vs Lille, Tuesday 19:00 GMT
• Atletico vs Manchester United, Tuesday 19:00 GMT
• Galatasaray vs Barcelona, Tuesday 19:00 GMT
• Manchester City vs PSG, Wednesday 19:00 GMT
• AS Roma vs Real Madrid, Wednesday 19:00 GMT

Top five Champions League matches to watch next week:

• PSG vs Barcelona, October 20, 19:00 GMT
• Liverpool vs Villarreal, October 20, 19:00 GMT
• Como vs Manchester United, October 21, 16:45 GMT
• Bayern Munich vs Arsenal, October 21, 19:00 GMT
• Real Madrid vs RB Leipzig, October 21, 19:00 GMT

What are the key UCL storylines to follow?

Man City’s home clash with PSG headlines the upcoming round of matches, marking the troubled Etihad club’s first Champions League match since an independent commission found them guilty of breaking more than 100 Premier League financial rules.

Elsewhere, City’s crosstown rivals, under-fire Man United, are also in action this week. They head to Madrid to face an in-form Atletico, hoping to register just their third win this season.

Meanwhile, manager Jose Mourinho will face his former club AS Roma when Real travel to the Italian capital.

Who are the top players to watch in the Champions League?

PSG’s Ferran Torres, who scored a hat-trick in the first UCL match, is a joint top scorer in this year’s UCL alongside Ermedin Demirovic of Stuttgart.

Also watch out for Man City’s Erling Haaland, Bayern Munich’s talented Michael Olise and PSG forward Ousmane Dembele, all of whom scored two goals in their respective UCL openers.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. It’s looking like the game of the year this week in high school football: No. 1 Santa Margarita at No. 2 St. John Bosco.

Assistants in spotlight

Kuika Moaalii, a 6-foot-5 sophomore, makes tough catch for St. John Bosco. He had four catches for 119 yards and one touchdown in 28-14 win over Orange Lutheran.

(Craig Weston / For The Times)

Santa Margarita (7-0) at St. John Bosco (6-1) on Friday night has all the makings of your typical Trinity League title decider. Great coaching, great players, great atmosphere.

While many will focus on the head coaching matchup of Santa Margarita’s Carson Palmer vs. St. John Bosco’s Jason Negro, the real spotlight should fall on the highly respected coordinators who will need to be smart, creative and be ready to improvise and adjust.

For Santa Margarita, that will be offensive coordinator Lenny Vandermade and defensive coordinator Steve Fififa. For St. John Bosco, offensive coordinator Steve Lo and defensive coordinator Chris King have lots of respect for their counterparts. Don’t expect any to be dismissed in the middle of the game.

All need to figure ways to get the ball to their star athletes on offense and prevent big plays on defense.

It’s the defensive chess match that will be most interesting. Santa Margarita has been getting excellent production from a group of freshmen and recorded three shutouts. This will be their biggest game yet. St. John Bosco has fixed some secondary issues with the addition of Kingston Fatu, who has two interceptions in two games. This will come down to which defensive line can apply enough quarterback pressure without having to blitz.

The winner should be in good position to be the Trinity League champion.

Cleveland’s offensive line has been a strength, including right tackle Carlos Gomez (left), right guard Carter Fitzgerald, center Pedro Castaneda, center Adam Garbisch, left guard Jovanni Orellana and left tackle Josue Fonseca.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times )

In case you haven’t noticed, history is being made at Cleveland High, which is 7-0 and has the inside track to win the West Valley League title under 34-year-old third-year head coach Mario Guzman. It has been decades since a young coach at not one of the City Section power schools has guided his team to contention at the highest level in City football.

Here’s a look at what’s been happening at the Reseda campus to accumulate seven consecutive wins to start the season, including victories over Crenshaw and Birmingham.

Franklin and Eagle Rock had their Northern League game postponed Friday because of continuing fallout dealing with the death of a Franklin student. The game will be played Monday night at L.A. Wilson.

There’s a season-long competition to be the best running back in the City Section among Brandon Hernandez of Panorama, Ceasar Reyes of Garfield and Tru Warrior Casas of Fairfax. All are well past 1,000 yards rushing and closing in on 2,000.

Elisha Mueller of St. John Bosco shows off his blocking skills against Orange Lutheran.

(Craig Weston / For The Times)

St. John Bosco set up its showdown with Santa Margarita with a hard-fought 28-14 win over Orange Lutheran. Here’s the report.

Inglewood rallied to defeat Palos Verdes and move to win the Bay League title. Here’s the report.

El Modena knocked off Laguna Beach in the Delta League. Here’s the report.

Crespi junior quarterback Chase Curren became the school’s all-time leader in touchdown passes with 54 by passing for three touchdowns in a 49-0 win over Harvard-Westlake. The old record was 53 held by his offensive coordinator, Bryan Bennett. His standout receiver Bru McFarland, called the record-breaking TD.

There are still 23 unbeaten teams left in the Southern Section and City Section. Here’s the report.

Here’s a look at this week’s top 25 rankings by The Times.

Here’s top individual performances.

Here’s week eight schedule.

The week ahead

Week eight in high school football has the chance to be one of the dramatic in the regular season with many big games.

Besides Santa Margarita at St. John Bosco, there’s Mission Viejo at San Clemente, Bishop Amat at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, King/Drew at Crenshaw, Hamilton at Palisades, Bellflower at Paramount and Mater Dei vs. Servite at Cerritos College,

Pualani Olotoa-Le’au, a sophomore, has been contributing to Carson in flag football and softball.

(Courtesy Olotoa-Le’au family)

Last week’s heat wave caused lots of postponed flag football games in the City Section. The powerful Northern League needs to catch up. Wilson is 2-0 and Eagle Rock 1-0.

Carson and Narbonne are 4-1 in the Marine League with San Pedro at 3-1. Here’s a look at a two-sport contributor for Carson.

JSerra is 23-0 and few teams are giving the Lions much competition. Here’s this week’s top 10 flag football rankings by The Times.

A big Monday showdown has Huntington Beach facing Newport Harbor.

Roommates at UCLA

Linebacker Scott Taylor (left) and receiver Shane Rosenthal, graduates of Loyola and Newbury Park, have become roommates and contributors for UCLA’s football team.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Former Loyola High star Scott Taylor and former Newbury Park star Shane Rosenthal are roommates and teammates on UCLA’s football team.

They explain how important it is going off to college to explore and find someone with similar ideas and principles.

Here’s a look at why things are working out.

Water polo

Harvard-Westlake made a big move in the water polo rankings this week with consecutive wins over JSerra and Santa Margarita.

Harry Siafaris was a key player with his scoring skills.

Newport Harbor had a big league win over rival Corona del Mar. Here’s the report.

Notes

Junior pitcher Carlos Acuna of Birmingham, the City Section player of the year, has committed to UC San Diego….

Dezi Delgado from Sherman Oaks Notre Dame has committed to CSUN baseball….

King Rachal of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame has committed to Utah State for basketball….

Standout guard Gene Roebuck of La Mirada has committed to Cal….

Former Monroe High and Cal State Northridge pitcher Lew Lerner has died. He was 74. He was a first-round draft pick of the Twins and led CSUN to a national championship in 1970….

JSerra cross-country star Reese Holley has committed to North Carolina….

Bob Hitchcock, who built the Temple City High football program into a powerhouse, has died. He was 97. He won seven Southern Section championships in the 1970s….

Guard Omar Cuffie from Loyola has committed to play basketball at Navy….

Michael Scarince of South Pasadena won the cross-country invitational race at the Clovis Invitational in 15:01….

Track and field athlete Aidan Antonio of Woodbridge has committed to Georgetown….

Guard Pierce Thompson of Harvard-Westlake has committed to Utah….

The JSerra girls volleyball team claimed the Division 1&2 Diamond Bracket at the Southern California Volleyball Invitational at Alliant University in San Diego….

Here are the latest Southern Section girls volleyball rankings.

From the archives: Cooper Barkate

Cooper Barkate playing for Mater Dei in 2021. He’s now at Miami.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

In Cooper Barkate’s senior season in 2022 at Mater Dei, the team went 12-1 and he was a vey good receiver who chose academics and the Ivy League, attending Harvard for three years and graduating with a degree in economics. Then he transferred to Duke for one season and is now at Miami, where entered the national discussion after catching five passes for 98 yards and one touchdown against Clemson.

His father, Harold, was a punter for UCLA who grew up in the high desert.

Here’s a story from 2023 from Harvard’s school newspaper.

Here’s a story from 2021 from the New York Times explaining Barkate’s decision to go to Harvard.

Recommendations

From Indianapreps, a story on the changing landscape in covering high school sports.

From KGET in Bakersfield, a story on a private eye uncovering ineligible players.

From Oregonlive, a story on former Crenshaw running back De’Anthony Thomas turning to disc golf.

From Axios, a story on how youth sports is affecting Sunday worship.

Tweets you might have missed

Until next time….

Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.

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Times of Troy writer Ryan Kartje is out sick this week, but we didn’t want USC fans to miss extended coverage of the Trojans’ win at Penn State. Times sports editor Iliana Limón Romero is filling until Kartje returns.

USC coach Lincoln Riley lingered at Beaver Stadium on Saturday night, soaking up a hard-fought moment of vindication.

Riley celebrated out-coaching Penn State’s Matt Campbell like he won a national championship, offered gleeful remarks to NBC and reporters at his postgame news conference and shook the hands of USC fans who ventured to Happy Valley to catch the Trojans’ first road win over Penn State.

“It’s one of my favorite wins as a head coach no question, for so many reasons,” Riley said after the Trojans’ 31-23 victory. “Obviously phenomenal atmosphere, as good as it gets there in college football, so give credit to Penn State, their fans, but really proud of our team, man.”

And even Riley’s harshest critics had trouble arguing this wasn’t a meaningful win. A serious test his team passed. The kind of beast Riley and the Trojans have struggled to slay.

Yes, the Nittany Lions now sit 3-3 overall and 0-3 in Big Ten play, but White Out games are their super power. When an announced crowd of 114,419 fans commits to wearing white and roaring in unison, it’s hard for any visiting team to pull off a victory. USC had never won in State College, Pa., and Riley noted seemingly no one outside of his team believed the streak would end Saturday.

How did USC do it?

The Trojans figured out how to overachieve in every area that was considered a weakness entering the matchup.

Maiava lights up Nittany Lions

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava delivers an option pitch under pressure from Penn State’s Caleb Bacon on a play that scored a touchdown Saturday at Beaver Stadium.

(Isaiah Vazquez / Getty Images)

Last week’s Times of Troy highlighted in great detail the dropoff USC quarterback Jayden Maiava experienced since a shutout of Fresno State on Sept. 4.

Riley was asked this past week whether Maiava was playing through an injury and the head coach insisted no.

It now seems the real injury problem was the one that sidelined freshman receiver Trent Mosley for two games.

With big-play threats Mosley and Tanook Hines on the field, Maiava looked like an elite Big Ten quarterback dealing the ball in locations only his two ace receivers could catch.

Maiava completed 21 of 33 passes for 301 yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers.

Mosley had nine catches for 111 yards and one touchdown. Hines had four catches for 82 yards and another score. The passing attack opened up enough space for King Miller to earn 102 yards and a touchdown in 19 carries.

Of course fans have come to expect big highlight plays from a Riley offense, but Maiava was unquestionably tentative the past few weeks and the offense wasn’t clicking. It hit top gear at Penn State.

USC’s Christian Pierce punches the ball out of the hands of Penn State’s Brett Eskildsen, forcing a fumble in the fourth quarter at Beaver Stadium on Saturday.

(Isaiah Vazquez / Getty Images)

While Riley has caught considerable heat this season, the USC defense directed by Gary Patterson wasn’t far behind.

The Trojans have shown marked improvement with Patterson shifting from the sideline to the press box the last two games.

Patterson had always worked from the sideline, but he also was always surrounded by staff members who knew his system well. Riley said the goal of the move was to speed up communication.

Desman Stephens II returned from his one-game suspension and led USC in tackles with nine. Luke Wafle and Kennedy Urlacher earned sacks. Jahkeem Stewart played after being listed as a game-time decision on the injury report and recorded a quarterback hurry.

Jontez Williams, Prophet Brown and Elijah Newby were credited with breaking up one pass apiece.

Riley can deliver in crunch time

USc coach Lincoln Riley talks with quarterback Jayden Maiava during the Trojans’ win over Penn State Saturday at Beaver Stadium.

(Barry Reeger / Ap Photo/barry Reeger)

During an NBC interview minutes after the game ended and during his postgame news conference, Riley made it clear he heard those chants calling for him to be fired.

And he was well aware few expected USC to win at Penn State, with betting odds favoring a rebuilding Nittany Lions squad by 1 1/2 points.

Riley’s clock management and use of timeouts, along with his play-calling, unquestionably got the best of Penn State’s Campbell and helped seal the USC win.

Opening the second half with an onside kick set the tone that everything was on the table for USC.

When Riley kept his offense on the field on fourth and four at the USC 13 late in the fourth quarter. Campbell said he called timeout with 4:15 remaining to be sure he put his team position to go get the ball.

Riley was delighted Campbell burned his final timeout and sent on his punt team.

After his defense forced a turnover, Riley’s offense burned time off the clock and lined up for fourth down when Penn State jumped offside.

For once, the Trojans didn’t flinch when it mattered most. USC finished with three penalties for a loss of 25 yards, a remarkable improvement for a team that has racked up a lot of ill-timed penalties during Riley’s tenure.

USC was awarded the first down and took a knee to run out the clock on a victory.

USC’s Kameryn Crawford and Luke Wafle celebrate with fans after their win over Penn State Saturday at Beaver Stadium.

(Barry Reeger / Associated Press)

The Trojans celebrated in the rain before starting a bye week.

“I was not surprised at all that we played well,” Riley said. “I felt like we really had one of the best weeks of prep that we’ve had since I’ve been here. I thought team had a great mindset coming in.

”… I’ve only been a head coach at two schools. They’ve both been blue bloods. … Blue bloods are unbelievable. The advantages far, far outweigh the disadvantages, but the disadvantages at blue bloods are the outside noise is always going to be way over the top, no matter what’s happening. And your ability to deal with that as a coach and then your team is critical if you want to have success in these jobs.

“And I thought our team blocked out everything. Our team knows how good of a team we have in that locker room and didn’t flinch.”

House of Troy ‘Chapter 4: Higher Power’ episode drops this week

Lane Kiffin was stunned when he was fired on the tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport at about 3 a.m. on Sept. 29, 2013.

He called his wife, who was equally surprised by the abrupt end to his tenure leading the Trojans.

“And I remember saying, I do not want to wake up tomorrow,” Kiffin recounts in the latest episode. “My life’s over.”

Kiffin helps provide an inside look back at the highs and lows of his USC era during Episode 4 of “House of Troy” available Tuesday morning at latimes.com/sports and everywhere you get your podcasts.

Olympic sports spotlight

The USC women’s volleyball team has been through some big changes, with coach Brad Keller missing matches Oct. 2 and Oct 4 because of an illness. USC announced on Oct. 5 Keller is taking personal leave and assistant Megan Moenoa is the Trojans’ interim head coach.

The Trojans (8-8, 2-4 Big Ten) earned a 26-24, 25-19, 25-22 road win over No. 15 Indiana (10-5, 3-3) in Bloomington on Sunday. It was Moenoa’s first win since stepping in for Keller.

Sophomore Abigail Mullen led USC with 11 kills, four blocks and nine digs. Freshman Milly McGee earned 31 assists, six digs and one kill.

Polling the people

Please note the following poll included voting before USC’s win over Penn State. The results do help illustrate the stress level Riley faced entering the game.

We asked “Will Lincoln Riley be USC’s coach in 2027?”

After 1,976 votes:

Yes, 42.9%

No, 57.1%

In case you missed it

Listen now: Podcast ‘House of Troy’ features inside look at highs, lows of USC Athletics

Lincoln Riley tunes out the criticism, makes bold calls in USC’s win over Penn State

No. 19 USC runs out clock on road win over Penn State

Trojans aim to prove they can stay poised amid constant pressure at packed Penn State

USC, UCLA push to extend West Coast dominance of Big Ten women’s basketball

USC coach Lincoln Riley says Jayden Maiava isn’t hurt despite dip in performance

Times of Troy: What’s going on with USC QB Jayden Maiava?

Until next time …

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email Ryan at ryan.kartje@latimes.com, and follow me on X at @Ryan_Kartje. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Going into Week 8 of the high school football season, there are still 23 teams unbeaten in the Southern Section and City Section.

The three City teams are Cleveland, Granada Hills Kennedy and Marshall.

There are 20 in the Southern Section: Santa Margarita, Sierra Canyon, San Clemente, Corona del Mar, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, San Jacinto, Huntington Beach, Orange, Charter Oak, Mary Star, Bonita, Desert Christian, Los Altos, Nordhoff, San Marino, Nogales, Viewpoint, Royal, St. Bernard and Rancho Alamitos.

There are tough league games ahead, starting on Friday with Santa Margarita at St. John Bosco and Bishop Amat at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.

Sierra Canyon (7-0) remains the most likely to go 10-0, with Mission League games still remaining against Chaminade, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and Bishop Amat.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

MILWAUKEE — The Dodgers executed their game plan and lost. The Milwaukee Brewers executed their game plan and won.

Back in California, Dodgers fans screamed at their television sets. This is postseason baseball, where the best pitchers take center stage and runs are at a premium.

Why don’t the Dodgers at least try to mimic the Brewers? Would a stolen base or a sacrifice bunt every so often kill the Dodgers?

“I think we should play Dodger baseball,” shortstop Mookie Betts said. “So, whatever Dodger baseball is, that’s what we should do. We should not try and play Milwaukee Brewers baseball.”

And what is Dodger baseball?

“It’s a very complex thing,” Betts said. “We pitch. We play defense. We hit. We’ve got to figure out a way to get some timely hits. If we’ve got to steal a base, we’ll steal a base. But we don’t need to change our identity.”

In the big picture, no need to overreact to the Dodgers’ 2-1 loss in the National League Championship Series opener.

But take a close look at the bottom of the fifth inning, when the Brewers scored the decisive run. With the score tied 1-1, Garrett Mitchell walked to start the inning, and Cooper Pratt sacrificed him to second. Luis Lara singled him home, scoring a runner in scoring position.

Joey Ortiz then grounded into what would have been a double play, had the Brewers not started Lara from first base. That was huge: Ortiz was out at first but, by staying out of the double play, the Brewers forced Dodgers starter Tarik Skubal to throw an additional 15 pitches to secure that third out.

That forced the Dodgers to remove Skubal from the game after he made 26 pitches in the fifth inning, and 81 overall.

“They’re willing to give up an out to get a guy in scoring position to get a hit,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

The Dodgers have not dropped a sacrifice bunt this postseason. In their World Series championship run last year, they dropped five sacrifice bunts: two by outfielder Andy Pages, who wasn’t hitting; two by light-hitting backup catcher Ben Rortvedt; and one by infielder Miguel Rojas.

This is Dodger baseball: The Dodgers hit 50 more home runs this season than the Brewers, who finished last in the NL in homers.

The Brewers had more than twice as many stolen bases as the Dodgers and more than twice as many sacrifice bunts. The Dodgers’ NLCS roster accounted for six sacrifices this season, including three by infielder-outfielder Tommy Edman.

Brice Turang, who bats second for Milwaukee, homered off Skubal in the fourth inning Sunday and sacrificed in the eighth.

If you want to say the Dodgers should slug away and play for the big inning, fine. If you want to say the Dodgers should be reluctant to bunt in October with players not asked to bunt during the regular season, Edman isn’t buying that.

“It’s definitely tough,” Edman said. “But it’s definitely something that we should all be able to do. If you’re a big leaguer, you should be able to do everything on the field that you’re asked to do. If that’s what the situation of the game calls for, we should be able to do it.”

The Brewers have played five postseason games, scoring 15 runs. They have won four games, three of them by one run. If the Dodgers can take a few big swings, they could get mighty comfortable.

The Dodgers also have played five postseason games, scoring 15 runs. But here’s a defining difference: In each of their five games, the Brewers have two hits with runners in scoring position.

In their five games, the Dodgers have a total of two hits with runners in scoring position.

This is the place where you, gentle reader, remind me that I said the Dodgers executed their game plan. What the heck?

They did, actually: They thought their best chance to win was to run up the pitch count on Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski and get him out of the game early.

Seven of the first nine batters did not swing at the first pitch. More than half the at-bats off Misiorowski took at least four pitches.

They fouled off 20 pitches and got him out of the game after 4⅓ innings, so the Milwaukee bullpen would have to cover more innings than he would.

“We lost, so it didn’t really work,” Betts said. “But we did a good job with some good at-bats and fouled off some pitches and made him work. That’s really all you can do.”

The Brewers have scored five of their 15 runs via the home run, the Dodgers 11 of 15. Do the Dodgers need to mix in some small ball and change their approach at bat?

“I don’t think guys are going up there trying to hit home runs,” Betts said. “Guys are going up there just trying to have good at-bats. Sometimes, you get ‘em. Sometimes you don’t. But we are playing against a really good team. We just have to put it behind us and just come out and play Dodger baseball.”

It’s time for Dodger baseball. Lose Game 2, and the Dodgers will be two defeats from a bitter winter.

While the DP World Tour agreed to grant conditional releases with nine players this season, it is understood the change for 2027 is predominantly down to LIV offering players equity in future and a feeling this is incompatible with the European tour being a members organisation.

However, it also comes at a time when the DP World Tour’s strategic alliance with the PGA Tour is being negotiated, so the move likely reflects a desire to put itself in the best position possible in those discussions.

Players will have until 16 November to sign up to the DP World Tour for next year.

Under the terms of its court-supervised restructuring process, LIV Golf needs to sign players up by 25 October.

Ted Goldthorpe, head of BC Partners Credit, told BBC Sport last week he was “confident” LIV would have a “critical mass” of players.

But since then two-time major winner Rahm has said he will not continue playing on the LIV tour.

Lawyers representing a number of other players, including fellow major winners Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith, sought clarification from the court that rejection of contracts would equate to “termination”, enabling players to hold discussions with third parties about their futures.

Richard Bland is currently the only player to have stated publicly a desire to play on LIV 2.0.

However, Perez indicated last month he hoped there would be a future for the league.