Felix Nmecha dented Newcastle’s Champions League charge as Borussia Dortmund kick-started their Group F campaign with a 1-0 victory on Tyneside.
The Germany midfielder’s 45th-minute strike clinched victory at a rain-soaked St James’ Park on a night when three more points for Eddie Howe’s men, who twice hit the crossbar late on, would have left them with one foot in the last-16.
They will now head into tough away games in Dortmund and against Paris St Germain next month with serious work to do to extend their stay in the competition.
And they will possibly have to do it without midfielder Sandro Tonali, who was used as a second-half substitute amid speculation he could be handed a lengthy ban for alleged breaches of betting rules.
Memories of Newcastle’s 4-1 demolition of Paris St Germain earlier this month faded as last season’s Bundesliga runners-up produced an accomplished away display to remind them that the race for qualification from Group F has a long way to go.
In a frenetic start to the game, Nick Pope had to block Donyell Malen’s second-minute shot with his legs after he had controlled Marius Wolf’s cross as Dortmund broke at speed, but opposite number Gregor Kobel had to be equally resilient seconds later when Anthony Gordon cut inside and unleashed a curling attempt.
But it was the Newcastle keeper who had to produce a brilliant double save to deny first Malen and then Niclas Fullkrug from point-blank range after Emre Can had dispossessed Sean Longstaff and sent Marcel Sabitzer away down the left wing.
However, as played switched rapidly from end to end on a slick pitch, Kobel came to the German side’s rescue within seconds when Alexander Isak raced towards goal from halfway before sliding a pass into the run of Gordon, whose left-foot strike was beaten away by the goalkeeper.
Pope was relieved to see Malen whip a first time shot from Marco Reus’ square ball over his crossbar.
The Magpies were forced to make a change after only 15 minutes when Isak, who had earlier undergone lengthy treatment on the pitch, limped off to be replaced by Callum Wilson.
Miguel Almiron saw appeals for a 20th-minute penalty waved away by Portuguese referee Artur Dias after he went down under Nico Schlotterbeck’s challenge after carving his way into the box, with the breakneck tempo of the game showing few signs of abating.
With Can and Sabitzer providing the ammunition and Reus linking play, the visitors continued to cause problems and Jamaal Lascelles had to block another Malen shot at the end of an intricate passing move.
Dortmund, who had earlier replaced the injured Can with Salih Ozcan, finally forced the breakthrough in the final minute of the half when Sabitzer robbed Gordon and Reus fed Schlotterbeck, whose cross was steered emphatically past Pope by former Manchester City youngster Nmecha.
Wilson passed up a glorious opportunity to level 12 minutes after the interval when, after Fabian Schar’s crunching tackle in midfield had sent the ball into his path, he exchanged passes with Gordon before his shot was blocked by Kobel.
Howe made his move with 25 minutes remaining when he sent on Tonali and Jacob Murphy, who lasted just five minutes before having to leave the pitch with his shoulder in a makeshift sling.
But his side struggled to create anything of note until Wilson headed an 87th-minute free-kick against the bar and Almiron repeated the feat in stoppage time with a deflected shot.
Celtic twice lost a lead as they gained their first Champions League point in a 2-2 home draw with 10-man Atletico Madrid.
Kyogo Furuhashi got Celtic off to a flying start with his second goal in two Champions League games and Luis Palma quickly restored Celtic’s lead after Antoine Griezmann scored following his own saved penalty.
Celtic were deservedly on course for a first Champions League group-stage home win in 10 years following a first-half display full of pace and purpose but they started slowly after the break and Alvaro Morata levelled inside eight minutes of the restart.
The Scottish champions never rediscovered their spark – even after Atletico went down to 10 men in the 82nd minute – and their run without a home win at this level is now at 12 games.
Feyenoord’s win over Lazio left Celtic three points adrift of the Italians at the bottom of Group E, halfway through the campaign with trips to Spain and Rome to follow.
The build-up to the game had been dominated by internal and external strife.
Thousands of Celtic fans defied the club before kick-off by displaying Palestine flags, an act which will inevitably lead to UEFA sanctions.
Atletico’s decision to dispense with their striped shirts and wear an all-red top based on the one worn by the team that beat Celtic in the 1974 European Cup semi-finals also opened old wounds.
Two of the team that gained a goalless first-leg draw at Parkhead had travelled with the current side but the tribute did not go down well among the Celtic support given Atletico had three men sent off and seven others booked in that brutal encounter.
Furuhashi ignited the highly-charged atmosphere inside four minutes following a one-touch move. The Japan international twice exchanged passes with Matt O’Riley before taking a touch and slotting home from six yards.
There was a blow for Brendan Rodgers moments later when Reo Hatate went off injured. The Celtic manager brought on 21-year-old midfielder Paulo Bernardo, who is yet to start a game since his loan move from Benfica.
The home side remained positive, roared on by the crowd as they pressed Atletico high up the park, but the visitors levelled in the 25th minute after Greg Taylor was penalised for a trip on Nahuel Molina.
Joe Hart saved Griezmann’s penalty at full stretch but the France international dispatched the rebound.
Taylor atoned three minutes later when he played a searching ball beyond right-back Molina which sent Daizen Maeda in behind. The resulting cross found fellow winger Palma and the Honduran took a touch and rifled a shot in off the post.
Palma had been denied a late goal against Lazio three weeks ago by a marginal VAR ruling and an offside decision soon went Celtic’s way after Axel Witsel headed home from a set-piece.
O’Riley had earlier threatened with a first-time strike which was met with a diving save as Celtic continued to attack with verve.
Diego Simeone made two half-time changes and substitute Marcos Llorente vindicated his introduction within eight minutes as he crossed for Morata to equalise with a diving header.
Morata and Llorente both threatened and Rodgers responded by bringing on centre-back Nat Phillips for Palma and changing formation.
Atletico continued to boss possession and Celtic were contributing to their difficulties with some slack passing. Hart saved well from Morata after the Spain international turned Cameron Carter-Vickers.
Celtic got a lifeline when Argentinian midfielder Rodrigo de Paul received a second yellow card following a sliding tackle on Bernardo.
Substitute James Forrest shot not far over but Celtic could not seriously trouble the 10 men.
Erling Haaland struck twice as holders Manchester City moved a step closer to the Champions League knockout stages with a hard-fought 3-1 win at Young Boys.
Haaland put City back into the lead on the artificial surface at Bern’s Wankdorf Stadium after Switzerland international Manuel Akanji’s opener had been brilliantly cancelled out by Meschack Elia.
Substitute Julian Alvarez had an effort ruled out by VAR but Haaland made victory certain with a smart finish four minutes from time.
The win was City’s third in succession in Group G and they could now secure their spot in their last 16 for an 11th successive year with a follow-up victory over the Swiss side at home in a fortnight.
There had been much talk over the synthetic pitch in the build-up to the game and heavy rain added another variable element but it proved a free-flowing encounter.
Young Boys started well with Filip Ugrinic forcing a save from Ederson before Rodri headed wide from a corner.
Jack Grealish, who ignored the persistent booing of the vociferous home crowd, teed up Jeremy Doku with a superb first-time ball but the Belgian slipped as he cut inside and Anthony Racioppi saved.
The impressive Swiss keeper denied Haaland soon after but did have a moment of alarm when he spilled a Grealish shot. Matheus Nunes could only poke the loose ball weakly towards goal, however, and Loris Benito cleared off the line.
Doku went close again after switching from the right to left wing but Racioppi brilliantly saved his curling effort and blocked a first-time Rodri shot.
Young Boys had a good spell before the break with first Cedric Itten breaking clear but failing to beat Ederson.
Itten then teed up Sandro Lauper with a neat flick but Nathan Ake got back to block before a powerful Lewin Blum effort was turned behind. Itten went close again from the set-piece as his header dropped narrowly over.
While that made for a lively end to the first half, the game truly burst into life early in the second.
Akanji and Nunes both had chances before City grabbed the lead in the 48th minute. Rodri delivered a cross into the box and Ruben Dias, still forward following a corner, had a header tipped onto the bar by Racioppi. Akanji reacted the quickest to turn the ball in.
City went in immediate search of a second but were caught out after a Haaland shot was saved by Racioppi.
The ball was quickly sent to the other end and played into the path of Elia, who caught Ederson stranded off his line with a superb lob.
Young Boys were firmly back in the game and Itten forced Ederson into an awkward save with a swerving shot.
City stepped up the intensity and were awarded a penalty when Mohamed Ali Camara, moments after being booked, caught Rodri from behind. Haaland stepped up to thump home his 10th of the season.
City thought they had claimed another through Alvarez but his low strike was ruled out for a Grealish handball in the build-up.
It fell to Haaland to complete the job, the striker wrong-footing the defence just inside the box and then lifting into the top corner.
Wayne Rooney suffered his second successive defeat as Birmingham manager as his first home game ended with a 2-0 defeat to Hull.
Liam Delap’s 12th-minute goal and a superb solo effort from Jaden Philogene make it a miserable St Andrew’s debut for Rooney, up against his former Derby assistant Liam Rosenior.
Blues were booed off the pitch at half-time, while there were isolated catcalls from home fans unhappy with his appointment, before louder boos at full-time.
The former Manchester United and England striker emerged from a pyrotechnic display and blue and white smoke to warm applause on his way to the dugout, clapping the home support.
But the mood soon turned and it was Hull fans who were doing all the cheering after taking the lead following a mistake by Emmanuel Longelo.
Longelo’s back pass to goalkeeper John Ruddy went straight to on-loan Manchester City forward Delap, who rounded Ruddy and tapped into the empty net.
Birmingham briefly looked like they might work their way back into the game and Juninho Bacuna twice fired over the bar.
Ruddy prevented Hull doubling their lead when he denied Scott Twine in a one-on-one.
Ruddy then got a fingertip to divert Philogene’s fierce low drive just off target, before Adama Traore volleyed narrowly off target from Twine’s free kick.
Birmingham’s only effort on target came in the third minute of time added on, a looping header from Kevin Long that went straight to goalkeeper Ryan Allsop from Bacuna’s free kick.
Birmingham briefly attacked from the restart but Hull blocked shots from Bacuna and Dembele.
Hull were strong on the counter and Delap and Philogene fired wide before the visitors doubled their lead in spectacular fashion in the 74th minute.
Aston Villa academy graduate Philogene beat Cody Drameh then substitute Jordan James in a surging run in from the left, curling a firm shot that bounced in front of Ruddy before nestling in the far corner of the net.
Ryan Hardie took his Championship goal tally to six as Plymouth kept bottom-placed Sheffield Wednesday winless with a 3-0 victory at Home Park.
Mustapha Bundu and Morgan Whittaker scored within a four-minute spell at the end of the first half to put Argyle 2-0 up and 70th-minute substitute Hardie added the gloss.
Winless Wednesday have now lost 10 of their opening 13 league games, with their new boss Danny Rohl suffering back-to-back defeats.
Whittaker came closest to putting Argyle ahead in the eighth minute when his delightful curling chip from outside the box from the right came back off the far post, having beaten diving keeper Cameron Dawson.
Wednesday responded well and should have scored when Josh Windass sent Anthony Musaba away down the right wing with a defence-splitting pass in the 27th minute.
Musaba raced into the Argyle penalty area and sent a thumping cross across the six-yard box but none of the Wednesday strikers could add a finishing touch.
Musaba’s next cross into the box, again from the right, was met by striker Lee Gregory, whose first time 31st-minute strike flew over, before Windass let fly with a 25-yard free-kick which fit-again keeper Michael Cooper took into his midriff.
Argyle countered with Bundu putting Whittaker in on goal. The Argyle playmaker was fouled just outside the area by Dominic Iorfa. From the free-kick Bundu let fly with an unstoppable shot that gave Dawson no chance as it flew into the top corner off the underside of the bar after 44 minutes.
Four minutes later Whittaker doubled Argyle’s advantage latching on to a back pass from Wednesday defender Pol Valentin before driving forward and then calmly slotting past stranded Dawson.
Argyle started the second half much as they had finished the first, on the front foot, with Kaine Kesler-Hayden teeing up Finn Azaz, whose shot on the run was well saved by Dawson in the 53rd minute.
From the corner the ball was passed to Whittaker, whose shot from outside the box flew just over.
At the other end Cooper did well to save from Windass, from the left hand-side of the penalty area, following a superb pass from Wednesday’s midfield lynchpin Barry Bannan.
As Argyle grew in confidence, Azaz let fly from distance, hitting a bouncing ball on the rise and producing another good save from Dawson.
Azaz was again denied by Dawson in the 67th minute as he tried to place the ball past the keeper, who made a superb one-handed stop, diving to his left to keep out the goal-bound shot.
Argyle surged further ahead following a lightning counter with Azaz drawing defenders before sliding a pass to Hardie, who finished with a low, first-time strike from just inside the box after 76 minutes.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan announced Wednesday that Brock Purdy has entered the NFL's concussion protocol, putting the team's starting quarterback's status for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals in question.
Shanahan said Purdy began to experience symptoms on the team's flight home from Monday's game against the Minnesota Vikings. The second-year pro played every snap of the 49ers' 22-17 loss.
"We found that out when we landed, we were all pretty asleep," Shanahan told reporters. "He got all checked up (Tuesday) and now he's in the protocol."
Veteran Sam Darnold ran the first-team offence in Wednesday's practice and would start Sunday if Purdy doesn't receive medical clearance. Shanahan said Purdy's availability will be determined later in the week.
"He does have enough time [to clear protocol], he just has to go through the process," Shanahan said.
Purdy, the 262nd and final pick of the 2022 draft, won his first 10 NFL regular-season starts dating back to his rookie year, but has lost his last two and struggled in both games. The 23-year-old completed just 12 of 27 passes for 125 yards in San Francisco's 19-17 loss at Cleveland in Week 6, then was intercepted twice against Minnesota.
The Iowa State product posted a 123.1 passer rating with nine touchdowns and no interceptions over the course of the 49ers' 5-0 start to this season.
Darnold started six games for the Carolina Panthers last season and went 4-2 in those games while throwing for 1,143 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions. The 2018 No. 3 overall draft pick signed a one-year contract with the 49ers in March and won the No. 2 quarterback job from another former No. 3 overall pick, Trey Lance, during the preseason.
The 49ers subsequently traded Lance to the Dallas Cowboys shortly before the start of the season.
A fine second-half performance saw Rotherham earn just their second victory of the Championship season as they beat Coventry 2-0.
Lee Peltier glanced in shortly after the interval and then Ollie Rathbone lashed home in stoppage time to give the depleted Millers’ season a much-needed shot in the arm.
This was one of their best performances of the campaign and it sees them cut the gap to safety to five points with a game in hand.
Coventry had chances to get back into the game when they were trailing 1-0, but their inconsistent start to the season continues.
The Sky Blues made an assured start and almost took a 13th-minute lead when Kyle McFadzean found Ellis Simms in space 12 yards out, but his instinctive first-time shot was well saved by Sweden goalkeeper Viktor Johansson.
The Millers settled down and also had a fine chance to go ahead seven minutes later.
Cafu played Jordan Hugill in down the left and his cross was perfect for Fred Onyedinma at the near post and the net seemed destined to bulge, but the on-loan Luton man planted his header wide.
Neither side could get a grip on the match as promising positions for both were let down by poor final passes.
The second half immediately brought more entertainment as the Millers went ahead in the 51st minute.
Cafu whipped in a delicious corner to the near post and Peltier sent a glancing header into the far corner.
Coventry’s response was strong and they created a raft of chances to equalise.
Simms had a fine double opportunity as he met Jay Dasilva’s cross with a powering head that saw Johansson pull off a miraculous one-handed save, with the Everton loanee firing the rebound into the side netting.
Ben Sheaf then forced Johansson into another save with a shot from distance before Matt Godden could not make sufficient contact with a cross when the goal was gaping.
The game was suddenly alive and Rotherham had two great chances of their own to extend their lead.
First, Seb Revan’s cross fell to Rathbone and he looked primed to score but Ben Wilson got down to make a fine stop and then Hugill sent a header against the post from Dexter Lembikisa’s cross.
The Millers kept on pushing as Christ Tiehi sent a looping header just wide, Onyedinma shot straight at Wilson when through on goal and then the Sky Blues goalkeeper made a flying save to keep out Rathbone’s vicious strike.
Milan van Ewijk had a shot blocked and then Tatsuhiro Sakamoto put a glancing header inches wide as Coventry pushed for an equaliser.
But Rotherham deservedly made the game safe in the third minute of added time when Rathbone lashed home Georgie Kelly’s knockdown.
LeBron James may have lost some explosiveness due to his injury struggles, but Andre Drummond believes the NBA's all-time leading scorer is as good as ever and can excel again this season.
James and the Los Angeles Lakers began their 2023-24 campaign with a defeat on Tuesday, with the Denver Nuggets opening their first-ever NBA title defence with a 119-107 win.
The four-time NBA MVP scored a team-high 21 points while shooting 10-of-16, also adding five assists and eight rebounds, but his limited time on court was the major talking point after the game.
James played just 29 minutes in Los Angeles' 2023-24 opener, with the team looking to manage his workload over the coming weeks after he missed 27 games with a foot injury last season.
With James into his 21st season in the league, Drummond – who played alongside the 38-year-old during a brief spell with the Lakers in 2021 – says his game may have changed, but not necessarily for the worse.
Asked what fans should expect from James this season, Drummond told Stats Perform: "Well, if he's anything like he's been the past couple of years, I guess the same thing.
"He's still averaging 25 points, still playing 30-plus minutes, and it looks like he hasn't slowed down. Well, I feel like he's lost a step, but he's still him, he's still him at the end of the day.
"He's still the same player, he's still able to be aggressive and get to the basket.
"Is he dunking over people all the time as he used to? No. But is he playing smarter now? Yeah, I think he's still just as good.
"LeBron James has been special for the NBA from the first day he came in, the amount of things that he's done for the community, not only just for basketball, but for his community and for every city he's been in… you have to respect the guy that does that."
Reflecting on his time as a team-mate of LeBron's, Drummond said the opportunity to see how the four-time NBA Champion prepared for games was invaluable.
"He's somebody I got a chance to play alongside, so to have that opportunity to see his greatness up close is something I didn't take for granted," Drummond said.
"It puts a lot in perspective, because when you see this guy do the things he does in games, you're like, 'I wonder what he does when he's not playing'.
"I always talk about preparation with guys and his preparation, what he does and how he takes care of his body, how hard he works each and every day, really shows why he's one of the best players to step on this court.
"I just have a lot of respect for him. It was an honour for me to be alongside him and see him be him. I wish we got more time together, but it was definitely excellent playing alongside him.
"I asked him what he does with his body because I'm in year 12 now, and obviously your body starts to break down, you start feeling it more when you get hurt, it lasts a little bit longer.
"I've been blessed to not be hurt severely. I've had bumps and bruises but nothing crazy.
"I definitely asked him what he does when he's not playing, how he takes care of his body and some of the things he does to keep himself engaged when he's not on the court."
James is the oldest player in the NBA. The Lakers star will now have his eye on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record for the highest scoring average managed by the league's oldest player in any season (23.4 points in 1985-86, when Abdul-Jabbar turned 39).
While 30-year-old center Drummond clearly respects James' longevity, he will only continue his own career for as long as he feels able to make a valuable contribution.
"Playing as long as I have now is a blessing," Drummond added.
"I feel like I'm going to play as long as I can, until I just feel like I don't need to anymore, or I'm not as serviceable.
"I don't want to be someone that isn't playing, I have a family that I would rather hang out with than sit on the bench. I'll play until I'm not playing any more, or I'm not being played any more."
David Moyes has urged West Ham and Olympiacos supporters to behave themselves when the teams meet in Greece in the Europa League.
Tensions are high in Athens after Olympiacos’ league match with rivals Panathinaikos on Sunday had to be abandoned after an opposition player was hit by a firecracker.
Olympiacos have subsequently issued a warning to their supporters against throwing missiles and using laser pointers, which has become big problem in Greek football.
Meanwhile, West Ham fans were banned from their last European outing in Freiburg due to missile throwing during the Europa Conference League final victory over Fiorentina in June.
Hammers boss Moyes said at his pre-match press conference: “They’ve got great support here, fantastic enthusiasm, and it’s fantastic to come to a football city where the football really matters.
“You want the passion and the atmosphere but we also want good behaviour from our supporters and Olympiacos supporters.
“It’s a big game, but it’s important that everyone works together and end up having a good night.
“I think all we want is a good football game. You have to support your team well. You’re not doing your club any favours if you’re getting stadium bans or your team is getting thrown out of Europe.
“You have to be well behaved and we want the supporters to be that.”
Thursday’s match gives West Ham the chance to bounce back from Sunday’s painful 4-1 defeat at Aston Villa.
Greek defender Dinos Mavropanos said: “For the game against Aston Villa, it was a bad day against a good team.
“But our schedule is really busy so we needed to learn from it and start to focus on this game. We’ve been doing that. We’re here, we’ve worked hard and we’re looking forward to the match.”
Vladimir Coufal has not travelled due to a knock but fellow full-backs Ben Johnson and Aaron Cresswell are back in the squad after spells out.
David Moyes paid a warm tribute to “wonderful man” Bill Kenwright following the death of his former chairman at Everton.
Everton announced on Tuesday that Kenwright had died aged 78 following a battle with cancer.
Moyes and Kenwright formed a close bond during the Scot’s 11-year spell as manager at Goodison Park between 2002 and 2013.
“It’s incredibly sad news,” Moyes said at his pre-match press conference ahead of West Ham’s Europa League clash with Olympiacos.
“He was a wonderful man, he gave me a big opportunity in my career, taking me when I was a young manager in the lower leagues and gave me a job in the Premier League.
“Brilliantly supportive. I couldn’t have had a better chairman, as a young coach.
“When I look at modern football nowadays, how difficult it is for any young managers to make their way, Bill Kenwright was great to work with.
“We had great times over 11 years with him and we had some successful moments together. He’ll be sadly missed.”
On Wednesday morning current manager Sean Dyche and club captain Seamus Coleman laid flowers at the statue of Dixie Dean outside Goodison Park, where the Everton squad were holding a training session.
All players and staff observed a minute’s silence before the session and Kenwright’s image was shown on the stadium’s screens.
In a statement on the club website, Dyche said: “It’s a very sad time for everyone at Everton Football Club to lose our chairman, someone who has been such an amazing servant to the club in so many ways.
“His influence in bringing me to Everton in the first place was important and I have nothing but gratitude and respect for his unwavering support of myself, the staff and our players.
“It was a pleasure to share the moment of reaching our objective last season with him – a moment I know he felt so strongly about after such an arduous season, on and off the pitch…
“He was an incredible professional, in terms of what he did with Everton and also what he achieved in the theatre industry. Spending time with him and learning about his family, you couldn’t help but be taken by his passion.”
Dyche was told of the news midway through Tuesday’s training and called an immediate halt to the session as players and staff paid their respects.
Kenwright, who succeeded Sir Phillip Carter as chairman in 2004 after first joining the board at Goodison Park in 1989, had a cancerous tumour removed from his liver in August.
Liverpool-born Kenwright was a successful theatre and film producer when asked to join the Everton board in 1989.
He bought a majority 68 per cent stake in the club in 1999 and became deputy chairman before replacing Carter in his current role.
Dyche added: “Beyond his deep love of his family, one of those big passions, of course, was football – the game as a whole, as well as his obvious lasting love of Everton.
“His story – a boyhood supporter who went on to become chairman – is something so rare in the modern game, especially at the top level.
“He always believed in Everton and stood by the club, even in the toughest times. He was steadfast until the very end.
“Like so many who knew him, my heart and my thoughts are with his family at this extremely sad time.”
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp used his press conference ahead of Thursday’s Europa League clash against Toulouse to add his own tribute to Kenwright, adding to that issued by his club on Tuesday.
“The thing that I read recently, obviously, (he had) a massive heart for the city and a massive heart for Everton,” Klopp said.
“But the message he gave around the Hillsborough speech he held that time, I heard about: ‘They chose the wrong city and chose the wrong mums’. That’s a really strong message.
“With all of the rivalry with Everton, especially around the games, I don’t think we have any issues with each other left or right of games. This just shows how united we are in these moments, and that’s really big. He found the right words for it. My condolences to the family. I hope they are OK.”
Thousands of Celtic supporters defied the club and displayed Palestine flags ahead of their Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid.
A tifo display in the colours of the Palestine flag was evident in the lower half of the standing section well before kick-off and about two dozen sizeable flags were flown in the adjacent section before the teams emerged.
Thousands of smaller flags were evident around the ground when the teams came out.
The displays will inevitably lead to UEFA disciplinary action against Celtic, given the European governing body has already fined the club for fans flying Palestine flags on previous occasions.
The club issued a plea to supporters earlier on Wednesday after the Green Brigade fans’ group encouraged supporters to “courageously fly the flag for Palestine” amid the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East that has claimed thousands of lives.
“We have witnessed death, violence and destruction in the Holy Land in recent weeks, with thousands of people – men, women and children – killed, injured and displaced,” read Celtic’s statement.
“We are witnessing a tragedy of horrendous scale. As it continues, everyone at Celtic prays for all who have been affected.
“We also hope and pray for peace and for humanitarian support to reach those who are in need and in fear.
“Many of our colleagues, supporters, friends and families have been affected by these events.
“Against this backdrop of conflict and pain, sport can promote peace and demonstrate humanity and empathy for all who continue to suffer.”
Celtic added that players and coaches would wear black armbands as a “show of respect and support for all those affected by the conflict” and the club would make a contribution to the International Committee of the Red Cross to “support people affected by the humanitarian crisis in the region”.
The statement added: “The club recognises that our supporters hold personal views to which everyone is entitled. As a club open to all, we all belong at Celtic Park.
“Celtic Park is where we come to support our football club. Recognising this, respecting the gravity of the tragedy unfolding and its impact on communities in Scotland and across the world, and in line with other clubs, leagues and associations, we ask that banners, flags and symbols relating to the conflict and those countries involved in it are not displayed at Celtic Park at this time.”
The Green Brigade, which is currently suspended from getting away tickets by the club, in the wake of incidents at Motherwell and Feyenoord, had earlier announced plans to distribute thousands of flags outside the stadium.
“While it would be easier to distribute flags inside, we are prohibited from bringing the flags into the stadium,” a statement read.
“We respect the right of all fans who wish not to participate in such an action, however equally we ask that the same respect and freedom is afforded to all fans who do.”
In 2016, the Green Brigade raised more than £130,000 in an online fundraising campaign after Celtic were fined nearly £9,000 by UEFA due to fans flying Palestine flags during their 5-2 Champions League victory against Israel’s Hapoel Be’er Sheva in Glasgow.
The money went to medical aid for Palestinians and projects in the Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem, where a football academy was set up bearing the name of Celtic.
Group H leaders Barcelona moved a step closer to reaching the Champions League knockout stages after a 2-1 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk.
Barca made it three wins from as many matches through goals from Ferran Torres and Fermin Lopez before they held on in the second half after Heorhiy Sudakov’s 62nd-minute strike.
Xavi’s men produced moments of quality with a rotated side ahead of Saturday’s El Clasico against Real Madrid at Nou Camp in LaLiga.
Barca nearly had a dream start after seven minutes. Oriol Romeu’s high press forced the turnover in Shakhtar’s box which allowed Lopez to jink inside and shoot, but the midfielder’s effort was kept out by Dmytro Riznyk.
Barca’s persistence paid off when they opened the scoring in the 28th minute through Torres.
Lopez picked up another dangerous position inside the box and his effort cannoned off the post into the path of Torres who smashed home.
VAR initially deemed the goal offside but the ruling was overturned after Lopez held his run long enough.
And the potent Lopez doubled Barca’s lead in the 36th minute in spectacular fashion.
The La Masia youth product marauded into the open space from midfield, beat his man with a feint before producing a rocket on his right foot which saw the ball smash off the post into the back of the net.
The goal, which was Lopez’s second of the season, was completely deserved after the 20-year-old dazzled in the first half under the lights at Nou Camp.
The LaLiga champions started where they left off in the second half and came close through Joao Felix, who was denied by Riznyk from a tight angle.
The visitors persisted in their plan of playing out from the back which encouraged blue and red shirts to swarm them in possession as they struggled to deal with the relentless Barca press.
But Shakhtar stunned Xavi’s men when they struck against the run of play to make it 2-1.
Felix lost possession and Shakhtar advanced into the Barca half through Irakli Azarovi who picked out the rapid Sudakov and he ghosted past Romeu and held his nerve with a blasted effort past Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.
Moments after Lopez hit the post in the 68th minute, his headed effort was ruled offside as Barca tried for a third.
The Cleveland Browns have ruled out quarterback Deshaun Watson for Sunday's game at the Seattle Seahawks due to a lingering injury to his right shoulder.
Watson missed Cleveland's 28-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4, and he remained on the sidelines for a 19-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6 after the Browns’ bye.
The three-time Pro Bowl selection returned last week but was removed from the game after taking a big hit in the first quarter of Cleveland’s 39-38 victory at the Indianapolis Colts.
P.J. Walker will start for Cleveland this weekend at Seattle in a matchup of 4-2 teams.
Walker was activated from the practice squad to start against San Francisco and took over last week in Indianapolis after Watson exited.
He has completed 33 of 66 passes for 370 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions.
LeBron James understands the Los Angeles Lakers' plan to manage his time on court in the coming weeks, with head coach Darvin Ham hoping it gets the best out of the four-time NBA MVP.
James played just 29 minutes as the Lakers opened their 2023-24 campaign with a 119-107 defeat to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, with Nikola Jokic recording his 106th career triple-double for the reigning NBA champions.
Four-time NBA champion James added five assists to his team-high 21 points, but he saw his gametime limited despite the Lakers remaining competitive until late on, cutting Denver's lead to three points in the fourth quarter.
The 38-year-old averaged 35.5 minutes per game last season, his second-highest figure in five years with the Lakers, though that appeared to take its toll as he missed 27 games with a right foot injury.
James has missed a total of 111 games since joining the Lakers in 2018, most of them due to injury. While the NBA's all-time leading scorer always wants to be involved, he understands the benefits of managing his workload.
"Listen, I always want to be on the floor, especially when you've got an opportunity to win a game or you feel like you can make an impact," James said after Tuesday's defeat.
"But this is the system in place, and I'm going to follow it."
Asked whether he was surprised by his limited time on court, James clarified: "No, I'm not surprised. I talked to the coach and we had a game plan going into Game 1. I'm not surprised or upset."
With James approaching his 39th birthday and the likes of Anthony Davis, D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura providing the Lakers with depth, coach Ham says fans should expect more of the game.
"It's easy with him to get caught up in the emotion of the game, and you tend to forget you want to play these long stretches," Ham said of James.
"But in order for him to be as effective as possible, we have to be mindful of the minute output and how long his stretches are.
"It's going to be a day-by-day process, gauging how he's feeling, getting communication from him, our training staff, our medical staff."
Despite the defeat, James was satisfied with aspects of his own performance and does not believe he needs to adjust his game to the new role.
"Besides the fact that we didn't win, I think my performance and what I did individually in the time that I was out there… I think I was productive," James said.
"I mean, I was a plus-7 for the game. No turnovers. I like the no turnovers more than anything."
The Lakers are back in action on Thursday, with the Phoenix Suns visiting Crypto.com Arena.
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