Matt O’Riley feels Celtic can make further strides in the Champions League with better game management.
Brendan Rodgers’ side produced a blistering first-half display against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday and deservedly led 2-1 at the interval.
Midfielder O’Riley was at the heart of the action with an excellent exchange of one-touch passes to set up Kyogo Furuhashi’s opener and Celtic attacked with pace and purpose throughout the opening 45 minutes.
They were pegged back eight minutes into the second half by Alvara Morata’s header and could not quite replicate the tempo of their attacking play, which Atletico boss Diego Simeone admitted his side had struggled to deal with in the opening period.
A 2-2 draw gave Celtic their first point of the Group E campaign and fuelled belief within the squad.
O’Riley said: “Lots of positives, a very good performance for the most part. We lost a bit of control at times, especially at the start of the second half, but overall it was a good performance and very good goals against a defensive team.
“We were a bit disappointed not to get three points but a point on the board is a step in the right direction, so I think there is a lot to look forward to.”
The Denmark Under-21 international felt they could have calmed the game down themselves after the break to deny Atletico a way back in.
“It’s not necessarily sustaining that level, it’s managing the game in different ways,” he said.
“There were times, especially at the start of the second half, where we could have managed it a lot better in terms of slowing the game down, pulling a few guys under the ball and just keeping the ball for a bit.
“I know, naturally, you are at home and the crowd wants you to play quickly all the time but there are times when you’ve just got to slow it down and I think that’s something we will get better at.”
Feyenoord’s win over Lazio sent them top of the group on six points and Celtic will need to take points from away games in Rome and the Spanish capital to keep their hopes of qualification alive before the Dutch champions visit Glasgow in December.
Captain Callum McGregor said: “That’s the challenge now. We’ve got our point on the board, we obviously need more to get out the group but this should give us the belief that, if you look after the ball and play together as 11, there’s no reason why you can’t go there and get something out the game.
“If we want to qualify then the next two games are vital.
“Now we have played the three teams, there’s nothing to suggest we can’t have a strong second half to the campaign.”
Inter Milan president Steven Zhang believes the club have established themselves among Europe’s elite again and is targeting a 20th Serie A title this season.
The Nerazzurri reached the final of the Champions League last season, losing 1-0 to Manchester City in Instanbul, finished third in the league and won the Coppa Italia and Italian Super Cup.
Simone Inzaghi’s side have started this season in fine form, sitting top of Serie A and unbeaten after three Champions League games.
“We are here to take stock of the 2022/23 season together,” Zhang said at Inter’s shareholders’ meeting.
“Obviously this takes us back to those thrilling nights that led us all the way to the Champions League final in Istanbul – Inter back at the top, starring on the most prestigious stage in the world.
“We came close to a feat that everyone deemed impossible, competing with the best in the world showing that our team can match any opponent.”
Zhang admits Italian clubs are facing challenges from abroad, including a new threat from the Saudi Pro League, but is confident that they are on the right path to achieve more success.
The 31-year-old also has his sights on adding a second star to the shirt by winning their 20th Scudetto – Italian clubs get one star for every 10 league titles they have won.
“This season we have also realised that our ambition does not stop here. The path we must take together lies before us,” Zhang added.
“Spring 2023 saw three Italian teams competing in European finals, giving rise to the ‘Calcio is Back!’ slogan. Italian football clubs have immense potential, and every effort is required to realise this.
“We are facing strong competition from old and new rivals alike. We have to deal with the sudden growth of the Saudi Pro League and at the same time manage financial competition with big European leagues, such as the English Premier League.
“I am proud to have steered Inter in a positive direction together with all our staff and players. Inter is now once again one of the top clubs in Europe representing of millions of people around the world.
“Winning is always our priority. We will fight to earn that second star for our fans and to enter into the history books of this club forever.”
Cyclist Dahlia Palmer won Jamaica’s first medal at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile on Wednesday when she placed third in the final of the Women’s Keirin.
Palmer, who has been at loggerheads with the Jamaica Cycling Federation over a ban imposed on her coach, Robert Farrier, produced a strong performance which saw her finish 0.286s behind gold medallist Martha Bayona Pineda of Colombia.
Mexico’s Daniela Gaxiola Gonzales Luz won the silver medal.
In September, lawyers of New City Chambers, representing Palmer issued a final written warning to the Jamaican Cycling Federation. The letter threatened legal action against the federation unless they reconsider their suspension of Ms. Palmer's coach, Mr. Robert Farrier, and permit his attendance at the 2023 Pan Am Games and future events.
It is unclear whether the matter has been resolved.
Asking a footballer who is addicted to gambling to play in stadiums plastered in betting logos is akin to making an alcoholic work in a pub, campaigners have said.
The Big Step campaign, part of the Gambling With Lives charity, has said Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali deserves “empathy and support” for his gambling rather than a 10-month ban.
Italian football federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina said on Thursday the 23-year-old had been suspended for 10 months and ordered to undertake a further eight-month rehabilitation programme, according to reports in Italy.
The player’s agent, Giuseppe Riso, has said his client is living with a gambling addiction. The PFA is understood to be working with and continuing to support Tonali.
“Footballers are human and if they are suffering from addiction they deserve empathy and support, not lengthy bans,” the Big Step said in a statement issued to the PA news agency.
“Every football game is wall-to-wall with gambling ads, not just across shirts but around stadiums and related media content.
“Sending someone addicted to gambling into this environment is like sending an alcoholic to work in a pub. If you force young footballers to endorse addictive products then don’t be surprised if they use them.
“Ending all gambling advertising and sponsorship in football, including all parts of the shirt and in every stadium, will help to prevent harm to those on and off the pitch.”
Gravina told reporters: “An agreement has been reached between the federal prosecutor and Sandro Tonali.
“The plea agreement is for 18 months, of which eight months is for rehabilitation, which involves therapeutic activity and making at least 16 public appearances.
“The rules call for a certain number of years of suspension, but the plea bargain and extenuating circumstances have been taken into consideration and the players’ collaboration went above and beyond, therefore we must continue to respect the rules we have established for ourselves.”
Tonali was one of several players named in the FIGC’s investigation, which also saw Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli banned for seven months.
The prospect of Super League rugby returning to Wales has been made more distant under IMG’s new grading system, according to the chief executive of the only remaining senior club in the country.
North Wales Crusaders ranked rock-bottom of the 35-strong list of senior clubs which will be used to determine the make-up of the top-flight from the 2025 season onwards, scoring just 5.07 points from a possible 25.
In common with a number of others, Andy Moulsdale believes the ranking is not a “fair reflection” of the progress made by his club, who only missed out on promotion to the Championship last season when they lost the League One play-off final to Doncaster.
It also paints a bleak picture for prospective expansion, with Wales’ only other senior club, West Wales Raiders, withdrawing from the league after the 2022 season, and no Welsh club having featured in the top two divisions of the domestic game for almost a decade.
Moulsdale told the PA news agency: “We all know what we’ve got to work towards and I’m the first to admit there are certainly some pillars we need to improve on, but some of it doesn’t add up.
“For what we’ve given back to the sport, I don’t think it’s a fair reflection. We reached the final last season and finished third in the two years previously. We’ve also set up a foundation that runs a women’s and three wheelchair teams.
“These gradings make it increasingly harder for League One teams to reach Super League. We’re the only professional club in Wales and our short-term goal is to keep a Welsh team going, and start to make progress rather than just existing.”
Super League arrived in Wales in 2009 when Celtic Crusaders, effectively the existing club’s previous incarnation, were granted a top-flight licence and lasted three seasons – the latter two as simply Crusaders – before falling into financial problems and failing to re-apply for a licence in 2012.
North Wales have since made quiet progress at the third-tier level, but the stark reality of elevating teams from expansion areas has been made plain by the rankings, which were ostensibly set up, at least in part, to encourage just that.
London Broncos languish in 24th place and face the prospect of a single top-flight campaign irrespective of their on-pitch performances next season, while Midlands Hurricanes and Cornwall occupy the two places immediately above North Wales.
“There’s no doubt it makes things more difficult for us,” added Moulsdale. “The scoring is inevitably weighted towards Super League clubs, because finances and fandom are obviously going to be bigger if you’re in the top division.
“We’ve lost the likes of West Wales and London Skolars in recent seasons, and unless you have someone who can come straight in and invest a lot of money, the prospects (for expansion teams) are extremely tough.”
Moulsdale is one of a number of chiefs who believe their clubs were incorrectly graded, and that their true score could have helped them at least avoid the negative connotations of being in bottom place.
But he conceded: “The IMG gradings make you take a step back and realise it’s not all about what happens on the pitch any more. Whether you agree with it or not, that’s the way it is, and we just have to try to improve in any way we can.”
Seamus Mullins has an eye on the big fences at Aintree for his Grimthorpe Chase winner Moroder.
The nine-year-old is a seven-time winner and ended last season on a high when very nearly landing a valuable staying handicap double.
A tough winner of the Grimthorpe at Doncaster in March, the gelding then contested the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown and was beaten only by Christian Williams’ Kitty’s Light.
That performance, and subsequent handicap adjustments, have left the bay on a career-high mark of 140 coming into his seasonal debut in the Norman Court Stud Handicap Chase at Wincanton on Sunday.
Mullins expects the horse to come on for the run, which is likely to pave the way to the Becher Chase at Aintree in December and could in turn lead him back to Liverpool for the Grand National in spring.
“He’s very well, he’s had a good summer. He’s a horse who always needs the run because he’s a big, heavy horse so whatever he does on Sunday he will benefit from,” Mullins said.
“We have one eye on the Becher as his autumn target, he is in the race at Newbury (the Coral Gold Cup) and if he went really well on Sunday then we’d have a look at that.
“We’ve really an eye on Aintree in April, so we’ll plan his autumn campaign around the Becher Chase and see how he takes the National fences at Aintree.
“If he ran well there then we might consider the National, it’s early days and he’d have to improve with the new National structure as off of 140 he mightn’t even get in.
“He’ll have to improve again but then he’s entitled to.
“He went and won the Grimthorpe and then went to Sandown where he ran one hell of a race and was just unfortunately chinned by the Christian Williams horse.
“Hopefully he’ll have a clear run this year and we can have a full campaign with him. He’ll go and blow away the cobwebs at Wincanton and we’ll see from there.
“The most likely place he’d end up going would be Aintree for the Becher, then we’ll plan his campaign around that.”
Former England captain Michael Atherton said the current one-day side could be “at the end of the cycle” after another poor batting display at the World Cup.
England won the toss and elected to bat in a must-win group game against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru, but collapsed to 156 all out with nearly seven overs remaining.
Jos Buttler’s side never looked capable of mounting an imposing target despite Moeen Ali’s pre-match assertion that England would play aggressive cricket with no fear.
Sky Sports pundit Atherton said: “It’s all very saying what you want to do when you’re struggling and down on confidence, it’s not always easy to put those fine words and aspirations into practice.
“We’ve all been there in teams that are low on confidence and are struggling. No team has a divine right to be at the top of its game all the time.”
Ben Stokes (43) and openers Jonny Bairstow (30) and Dawid Malan (28) were the only batters to make any impression as wickets fell at regular intervals against a Sri Lanka side who had also won only one of their first four matches.
Atherton added: “We’ve looked at the factors over the last five games of this competition, but if you look a bit deeper you could argue this is a team at the end of the cycle.
“You could argue that the lack of 50-over cricket and the lack of England’s ability to put what they consider to be their best one-day team in 50-over cricket has camouflaged some of the weaknesses and decline that we’ve seen.
“It’s all come together in the performances we’ve seen in Mumbai over the last couple of days and this one here in Bengaluru today.”
Luke Morris will stand in on Bradsell at next week’s Breeders’ Cup meeting after Hollie Doyle failed in her appeal against the severity of a careless riding ban.
Doyle incurred a seven-day suspension for her ride aboard the Jonathan Portman-trained Rose Light in the Unibet More Boosts In More Races Fillies’ Handicap at Kempton last week, being found to have cut across a number of rivals in the early stages of the 11-furlong contest, causing them to be tightened for racing room.
The British Horseracing Authority’s independent disciplinary panel heard Doyle’s appeal on Thursday morning, with the jockey contesting the length of the ban rather than the riding offence itself.
After hearing submissions from Charlotte Davison, who was representing the BHA, and Rory Mac Neice for Doyle, the panel concluded the original penalty should stand, meaning Doyle will be suspended on November 4, when Bradsell is due to run in the Turf Sprint at Santa Anita.
Rachel Spearing, the panel’s chair, said: “We do accept there was corrective action taken by Miss Doyle, but the reality was unfortunately the situation had been caused. We can see from the footage interference does take place and it is, in our view, significant.
“We find interference was foreseeable, it was serious and it is appropriate to fall within the careless riding (penalty) of five to 14 days. We note she was provided with a seven-day suspension and we see no reason to interfere with those days.
“We have concluded this wasn’t a frivolous appeal and in those circumstances agree to return the deposit.”
Lambourn-based trainer Archie Watson subsequently confirmed to the PA news agency that Arc-winning rider Morris will now partner Bradsell in California on Saturday week.
The three-year-old defeated Highfield Princess when lifting the King’s Stand at Royal Ascot in June, since when he has finished third in the Nunthorpe at York and seventh in the Flying Five in Ireland.
Watson said: “Luke Morris will ride Bradsell at the Breeders’ Cup.”
England’s excruciating World Cup campaign took another turn for the worse as they slumped to 156 all out in their must-win match against Chris Silverwood’s Sri Lanka.
Knowing defeat in Bengaluru would leave them with one win in five and end any realistic hope of reaching the semi-finals, they batted calamitously and were rounded up in just 33.2 overs of self-inflicted pain.
Ben Stokes top-scored with 43 but even he barely laid a glove on the opposition, looking short of fluency throughout a 73-ball stay. Six players were dismissed in single figures, with Adil Rashid’s comical run out at the non-striker’s end summing up a shoddy performance.
England’s increasingly confusing selection continued as they dropped rising star Harry Brook, leaving them with a conspicuously ageing side comprised entirely of thirtysomethings for the first time ever in one-day cricket.
With up-and-coming seamer Gus Atkinson also benched, Liam Livingstone – who turned 30 in August – was youngest player on the teamsheet and they batted like a side long past their peak.
They now face the embarrassment of being ousted from the tournament they won four years ago by Silverwood, the man who was supposed to lead England in India before being sacked after the Ashes debacle of 2021/22.
Manchester United have reported a Premier League record revenue figure of £648.4million for the year ending June 30.
The figure is 11 per cent up from the previous year and beats the previous league record set by United in 2019, but the Red Devils have still reported a loss of £42.1million.
The record earnings come in spite of the fact they were in the Europa League, rather than the more lucrative Champions League, last season.
The club have also predicted revenue for the 2023-24 period will be between £650m and £680m.
The announcement comes at a time when the founder of the INEOS chemicals company, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, is reported to be close to securing a 25 per cent stake in the club.
Warrington duo Matty Ashton and Ben Currie have been added to the England squad for their second clash with Tonga in Huddersfield on Saturday as head coach Shaun Wane warns his players to guard against the possibility of a backlash.
Ashton and Currie replace Tommy Makinson and Morgan Knowles, both of whom sustained injuries in England’s gruelling 22-18 win in St Helens on Sunday in the first of a three-match series against the Southern Hemisphere side.
Wane said: “Last week was a real battle of attrition and we fought hard to come out on top, but we still have work to do to win this three-game series.
“We know that Tonga will be hurt, they’ll come out even stronger, and will be seeking revenge this weekend. It is up to us to ensure that doesn’t happen and we come away with the victory – and the series.”
Ashton’s call-up to the 19-man matchday squad will represent only his second international appearance after the 25-year-old winger previously featured in England’s 64-0 thrashing of France in April.
The 29-year-old Currie featured in England’s run to the final of the 2017 World Cup but has played for his country just twice in the last six years, also including the win over France.
Wane added: “Matty Ashton impressed me earlier in the year during the mid-season international against France and has continued on the same path over the last few weeks. I’m really pleased to be able to give him an opportunity against Tonga.”
Huddersfield prop Chris Hill will make his 35th full international appearance on Saturday, while the team will once again be captained by St Helens full-back Jack Welsby as George Williams serves the last of his two-match suspension.
England forward Lauren James will miss the Women’s Nations League double-header against Belgium because of concussion.
The Lionesses play the first of their two-parter at Leicester on Friday but the Chelsea player will not be involved as she goes through the relevant protocols after suffering a head injury.
Lotte Wubben-Moy trained on Thursday and could be involved in the squad at the King Power Stadium.
“We have 25 players, but they are not all fit,” boss Sarina Wiegman said. “Unfortunately, Lauren James is not ready, she won’t be ready for Tuesday also.
“Nothing to worry about, she picked up a concussion and she knows we have to be careful of the protocols that we always do, so that is just too short to be ready for the two games.
“Lotte is on the pitch and we will assess her today, everyone else is good.”
Belgium currently top Group A1 of the Women’s Nations League with four points from their opening two games while England suffered a last-gasp defeat against the Netherlands in September.
That loss places an importance on the two games against the Belgians and Wiegman, who celebrated her 54th birthday on Thursday, wants a response.
“We always want to win, and expectations are high but we have our own expectations too,” she said.
“Of course we lost the last game, we were not happy with that and we want to bounce back. What we are working on is improving our game, doing things right and playing very well against Belgium and getting a result.
“They are really competing for something in the Nations League. They are in a very different situation at the moment, they play with different shape, with different players and are in transition.
“They are very competitive, very well organised and as they showed in September they are very hard to beat.”
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Goalkeeper Mary Earps will get the chance to play at Leicester, where she began her youth career.
Her profile has raised exponentially on the back of the Lionesses’ success in recent years, culminating in replica goalkeeper’s shirts selling out after her World Cup exploits in the summer.
The Lionesses have always been accessible to fans but Earps thinks there is now a tipping point given their elevated status.
“Expectation of the team is obviously a huge compliment in terms of the way teams expect us to win and things like that,” the Manchester United keeper said.
“The accessibility people get to us as players is a hot topic of discussion, it’s something we as players are experiencing in a very different way in terms of the way the profile is changing.
“We love to interact with the fans, but it is becoming difficult to keep everyone happy and to interact with as many people as possible.
“We are so grateful that thousands and thousands of people want to come and meet us and talk to us but the reality is that if that is the expectation then we are always going to fall short.
“I think the emphasis on it needs to switch. We love that we can be so connected but we are subject to a lot of comments and at times it is an addition to the game we don’t need. We love it but it is becoming difficult to maintain that.”
Hollie Doyle will miss the ride on Bradsell at next week’s Breeders’ Cup meeting after failing in her appeal against the severity of a careless riding ban.
Doyle incurred a seven-day suspension for her ride aboard the Jonathan Portman-trained Rose Light in the Unibet More Boosts In More Races Fillies’ Handicap at Kempton last week, being found to have cut across a number of rivals in the early stages of the 11-furlong contest, causing them to be tightened for racing room.
The British Horseracing Authority’s independent disciplinary panel heard Doyle’s appeal on Thursday morning, with the jockey contesting the length of the ban rather than the riding offence itself.
After hearing submissions from Charlotte Davison, who was representing the BHA, and Rory Mac Neice for Doyle, the panel concluded the original penalty should stand, meaning Doyle will be suspended on November 4, when Bradsell is due to run in the Turf Sprint at Santa Anita.
Rachel Spearing, the panel’s chair, said: “We do accept there was corrective action taken by Miss Doyle, but the reality was unfortunately the situation had been caused. We can see from the footage interference does take place and it is, in our view, significant.
“We find interference was foreseeable, it was serious and it is appropriate to fall within the careless riding (penalty) of five to 14 days. We note she was provided with a seven-day suspension and we see no reason to interfere with those days.
“We have concluded this wasn’t a frivolous appeal and in those circumstances agree to return the deposit.”
Joe Willock is convinced Newcastle can “beat any team in the world” as they look to bounce back from their first Champions League setback.
The Magpies went down 1-0 to Borussia Dortmund in torrential rain at St James’ Park on Wednesday evening on a night when they learned just how fine the margins can be at the elite level of club football.
After a hard-fought draw at AC Milan and a stunning 4-1 win over Paris St Germain, they now sit in joint second place with the Germans in Group F at the halfway stage, with both on four points, two behind leaders PSG, but facing back-to-back trips to Dortmund and Paris next month.
However, asked if they could thrive in those two intensely difficult fixtures, Willock said: “Yes, 100 per cent. We can beat any team in the world when we’re at our best, I actually believe that.
“We’re going to analyse this game and we’re going to look to go there and win the game.
“This is where we want to be. We want to compete at this level. This is Newcastle United and we have to compete at this level.
“We set out our targets at the start of the season and we want to reach them. We have a really tight group and a brilliant manager who will put us on the straight and narrow and we’ll continue pushing.”
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Felix Nmecha’s goal on the stroke of half-time ultimately settled a pulsating encounter which Dortmund perhaps shaded, although they were indebted to both keeper Gregor Kobel, who made a vital second-half save from Callum Wilson, and the woodwork, which denied both Wilson and Anthony Gordon in a rousing conclusion.
Willock said: “We were just a bit disappointed that we couldn’t tuck away those chances. We’re competing at the highest level now. We’re going to analyse it, we’re going to look back at it and we’re not going to let it set us back too much.”
If dropped points were painful for Eddie Howe’s men, so too were injuries to striker Alexander Isak, who aggravated a groin problem he picked up on international duty with Sweden, and Jacob Murphy, who suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder just minutes after being introduced as a substitute.
With midfielder Sandro Tonali awaiting the outcome of an investigation into alleged breaches of betting rules which reports from Italy have suggested could see him banned for 10 months, Howe could be facing a selection crisis.
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In the circumstances, Willock’s surprise return from the bench against Dortmund after hamstring and Achilles problems was a welcome boost.
The 24-year-old tore his hamstring during a 4-1 victory over Brighton on May 18 and was a frustrated bystander as Newcastle clinched a first Champions League campaign for 20 years after a 0-0 draw with Leicester four days later.
He said: “It was very hard to deal with. On one side, I was very happy for the team and I was over the moon that we achieved what we set out to do last season, and now we’re competing in the Champions League.
“But at the same time, I was disappointed to get injured. Even so, I’m back now and I’m looking to push on. I’m really happy to be back and I can help the team a lot.”
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