Tottenham were made to wait in their bid to reach the Champions League's last 16 after Harry Kane was denied a 95th-minute winner in a contentious and chaotic finish to their 1-1 draw with Sporting CP.
Kane looked to have sealed Spurs' progression from Group B when he fired past Antonio Adan from close range at the last, but a VAR review controversially ruled the striker to have been offside.
Marcus Edwards – who came through Spurs' youth system before moving to Portugal – had earlier handed Sporting a deserved lead, which was cancelled out by Rodrigo Bentancur's header.
Antonio Conte was dismissed for his furious reaction to Kane's disallowed goal, and his side will now require a result at Marseille next Tuesday in order to reach the knockout stage.
Paulinho had already given Spurs a warning before Edwards opened the scoring 22 minutes in, riding Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's challenge in a slaloming run before picking out the bottom-right corner.
Sporting were on top throughout the opening half and were denied a two-goal lead when Sebastian Coates inexplicably handled into the net from close range.
Spurs needed 52 minutes to put Adan under any genuine pressure, as Eric Dier tested the Spaniard with a well-struck volley before sending a glancing header onto the roof of the net.
Sporting passed up huge chances to make sure of the points through Flavio Nazinho, and they paid for that profligacy as Bentancur rose to nod Ivan Perisic's corner home with Adan in no man's land.
However, there was more drama to come when Kane lashed in from Emerson Royal's knockdown and a three-minute VAR review followed, eventually striking off the England captain's winner.
Cristiano Ronaldo vowed to return to Manchester United with the "same commitment and dedication as always" as the forward looks to play his way back into favour at Old Trafford.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was dropped for Sunday's 1-1 draw at Chelsea after refusing to come on as a substitute and leaving the bench early in last Wednesday's win over Tottenham.
United manager Erik ten Hag insisted the decision was to stick to principles and build a positive environment at the club, with the Portugal international only allowed to return to first-team training on Tuesday.
Ronaldo is expected to feature in Thursday's Europa League clash at home to Sheriff and made a promise to the fans as he looks to work his way back into Ten Hag's reckoning.
"Back on track, with the same commitment and dedication as always!," the forward posted on Instagram on Wednesday.
United will seal a place in Europa League knockout stages against Sheriff if they win, draw or avoid defeat by more than one goal.
The Red Devils will be without the injured Raphael Varane, though, while Ten Hag will make late decisions on the fitness of Harry Maguire, Donny van de Beek and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Rangers' slim hopes of playing Europa League football in the new year are all but over following a 3-0 defeat to Napoli in Naples, heaping further pressure upon Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
The Scottish side needed a result and a favour from Liverpool against Ajax to retain a realistic chance of finishing third, and while Jurgen Klopp's side did their part, Rangers were swept aside by the Serie A leaders.
Napoli took the lead after just 11 minutes, Giovanni Simeone rifling home after Giovanni Di Lorenzo teed him up, and the forward was on the scoresheet again five minutes later as he tucked home Mario Rui's cross.
Tanguy Ndombele's fierce strike from outside the box clattered off the bar before the break, while the second half saw Alfredo Morelos fail to connect from close range in the visitors' best chance of the game.
Any hope of a late comeback was crushed 10 minutes from the final whistle when Leo Ostigard was left unmarked and headed home Giacomo Raspadori's corner.
With Rangers three points behind Ajax and having lost their first meeting 4-0, Van Bronckhorst's side need a remarkable result in Amsterdam next week to clinch third place and Europa League football.
Yannick Carrasco missed a last-gasp penalty as Atletico Madrid crashed out of the Champions League following a 2-2 draw with Bayer Leverkusen, who were also eliminated.
Requiring victory to maintain any hopes of progressing from Group B, Diego Simeone's side twice came from behind as Carrasco and Rodrigo de Paul cancelled out efforts from Moussa Diaby and Callum Hudson-Odoi.
There was late drama at the Wanda Metropolitano, where Clement Turpin had initially blown the full-time whistle before VAR penalised Piero Hincapie for handball in the box.
However, Carrasco was denied by Lukas Hradecky as Atletico bowed out at the group stage for the first time in five years.
Bayern Munich eased to a 3-0 win to compound a miserable day for Barcelona as they were eliminated from the Champions League at the group stage for a second successive season.
Inter's 4-0 win against Viktoria Plzen earlier on Wednesday had already sealed Barca's fate, which led to a sombre mood from the first whistle at Camp Nou.
First-half goals from Sadio Mane and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting were followed by a Benjamin Pavard strike with the last kick of the game.
Bayern were already through from Group C but confirmed themselves as group winners ahead of Inter with this win, with Barca dropping into the Europa League.
2 - #FCBarcelona has been eliminated of UEFA Champions League #UCL group stage in back-to-back seasons, something that had not happened since the 1997-98 and 1998-99 campaings under Louis Van Gaal. Disappointment. pic.twitter.com/GkcqNp2Ncq
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) October 26, 2022It took just 10 minutes for Bayern to strike after Serge Gnabry played a ball through to Mane, who outpaced Hector Bellerin before calmly dinking the ball past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
The second also came thanks to an assured pass from Gnabry as Bayern countered and Choupo-Moting was slipped in on the right of the penalty area, firing his shot through the legs of Ter Stegen just after the half-hour mark.
The hosts thought they had a penalty just before half-time when referee Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot after Robert Lewandowski was felled by Matthijs de Ligt, but a VAR check revealed the Dutch centre-back got a touch on the ball before any contact was made with the former Bayern man.
Gnabry had the ball in the net with a terrific left-foot finish to Ter Stegen's right 10 minutes into the second half, yet his effort was ruled out for offside.
A game that had the feeling of a dead rubber fizzled out, with Lewandowski and Co. never looking like getting back into the game before Gnabry had his third assist of the night as his volley from a corner found Pavard at the far post for a tap-in.
Mohamed Salah continued his Champions League scoring run as Liverpool sealed their place in the knockout stages with a 3-0 triumph at Ajax.
Jurgen Klopp has now progressed from six consecutive group stages in the competition with Liverpool, a club-record run, after the Reds dominated on Wednesday in Amsterdam.
Salah scored his sixth goal in his last four Champions League games with a 42nd-minute opener, before Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott added quickfire second-half finishes to seal victory.
Ajax will drop into the Europa League by avoiding a resounding defeat at winless Rangers on matchday six, while Liverpool must beat leaders Napoli by an unlikely four goals to win Group A.
Ajax should have taken a third-minute lead but Steven Berghuis struck a gilt-edged opportunity against the right post, with the midfielder curling narrowly wide shortly after.
A resolute Liverpool continued with their backs against the wall before Andy Robertson smashed a rare Reds chance just off target, but Klopp's visitors soon hit the front.
Jordan Henderson delicately chipped through for Salah to neatly lift over the onrushing Remko Pasveer, before Nunez inexplicably smashed the left post with the goal gaping two minutes later.
Nunez made amends after the interval, heading Robertson's corner in off the right post before Elliott fired into the roof of the net two minutes later.
Substitute Kenneth Taylor blasted a presentable opportunity over after the hour mark, though Ajax never threatened an unlikely comeback.
What does it mean? Reds continue Ajax hot streak to qualify with ease
Underwhelming returns in the Premier League thus far have led to scrutiny for Liverpool, though the Reds emphatically delivered in what was their 150th match in the Champions League.
Klopp will take encouragement from the Reds' fourth straight victory in the competition over Ajax – only Real Madrid (seven) have managed a longer such streak – leaving Alfred Schreuder with much to ponder.
Ajax, whose first-half dominance failed to pay dividends, will likely settle for a Europa League place after falling to a seventh loss in nine home games against English sides in Europe.
Super Salah
Salah may be yet to hit his usual heights in the Premier League, but the forward collected his 42nd goal in the Champions League – only Didier Drogba (44) has more among African players.
The Egypt international presented a constant threat on the right flank, scoring in a fourth straight game in the competition for just the second time, as well as assisting Elliott for the third goal.
Bad from Berghuis
Berghuis was left to rue his two early missed chances, the first of those a routine finish that the midfielder would have been expected to slot past Alisson and into the back of the net.
Those errant efforts summarised a frustrating outing for Ajax, who started in dominant fashion but faded away rapidly after Salah's first-half opener.
What's next?
Liverpool host Premier League strugglers Leeds United on Sunday, while Ajax are not in action until their final Champions League game at Rangers on Tuesday.
The Philadelphia Eagles have bolstered their defense by acquiring pass-rusher Robert Quinn from the Chicago Bears on Wednesday.
Quinn, who set a Bears franchise record for sacks in a single season last year with 18.5, leaves a rebuilding Chicago team and joins an Eagles team who are 6-0 with Super Bowl aspirations.
Philadelphia have the NFL's fourth-ranked scoring defence at 17.5 points per game and sent a fourth-round pick to Chicago for Quinn, whose 102 career sacks are tied with three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald for the sixth-most by an active player.
Quinn has one sack, three quarterback hurries and two tackles for loss in seven games this year, and although the 12-year veteran is not stuffing the stat sheet like he did in 2021, his inspired play on Monday helped the Bears upset the New England Patriots in a stunning 33-14 victory.
Despite the encouraging win, the 3-4 Bears have their eye on the future.
A first-round pick by the St. Louis Rams in 2011, the 32-year-old Quinn is under contract through 2024, with a base salary of $12.8million this year.
Quinn was in his third season with the Bears, and the Eagles will be his fifth team after spending 2018 with the Miami Dolphins and 2019 with the Dallas Cowboys.
Barbadian Christopher Husbands repeated as champion jockey at Canada’s Fort Erie racetrack this week after strong performances in the final weeks of the season.
Steering the 1-5 favourite Milwaukee Bay to victory in Monday’s final day first race, Husbands finished the five-month-long season with 32 wins, two ahead of title rival Melanie Pinto, who went winless on the final day.
The three-year-old filly Milwaukee Bay, trained by Daniel Wills, was held off the pace by Husbands and flew past the front-running 8-1 bet Cloud Runner in the homestretch to win the CAN$14,700 Maiden Claiming event by 4-1/4 lengths. Milwaukee Bay clocked one minute 49.02 seconds for the mile and sixteenth trip.
Although finishing No.2 to Husbands in wins in the 2022 campaign, Pinto, who was leading rider for long periods during the season, earned the title of Outstanding Rider, voted by her peers.
Three other Caribbean riders finished in the top six of the jockeys’ table – Jamaicans MarkLee Buchanan (24) and Kirk Johnson (20th) at fourth and fifth respectively with Barbadian Juan Crawford sixth on 19 wins.
Husbands, 32, won his first Fort Erie title last year and now has four jockeys’ championship titles in Canada, having lifted crowns at Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg in 2014 and 2016.
As a 16-year-old, Husbands had won the 2006 Trinidad Derby aboard Sara’s Music and he now has 590 career wins in Canadian racing. This 2022 jockeys’ triumph for Husbands makes it 10 times in the last 12 years a Caribbean rider is No.1 at Fort Erie.
Crawford, five-time champion Johnson, and the Barbadians Chris Griffith and Terry Husbands have also been Fort Erie champions in the past dozen years.
There is no such thing as a sure thing in sport, and certainly not in fantasy football.
Every week, expected stars underperform while big-time contributors come out of nowhere.
But for this week's fantasy picks, Stats Perform has dug through the data to identify four offensive players and a defense that represent extremely strong bets for productive fantasy performances in Week 8.
If any of these selections disappoint, don't blame us!
Quarterback: Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins @ Detroit Lions
The Lions defense finally showed some fight last week against the Dallas Cowboys, but they still represent a favourable matchup for the Dolphins and Tagovailoa.
Detroit's defense is allowing 7.33 yards per pass play, the most in the NFL, and the Dolphins are coming off an efficient performance on offense against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Though they only scored 16 points in their Week 7 win, the Dolphins averaged 7.5 yards per pass play, and surely would have scored more points with better efficiency on third down, on which Miami went four of 14.
It was an encouraging return for Tagovailoa, who should find third-down joy much easier to come by against this porous Lions group. Back Tua and the Dolphins for an explosive showing in Week 8.
Running Back: Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers @ Los Angeles Rams
McCaffrey only had 10 touches in his 49er debut last week against the Kansas City Chiefs, but he averaged 6.2 yards on those touches, showing the burst and the vision that led San Francisco to trade much of their 2023 draft for the former All-Pro.
With a full week to get to grips with the playbook, McCaffrey will be an integral part of San Francisco's gameplan in a critical division matchup with the Rams.
The Rams have a top-10 run defense by yards per rush allowed (4.17), but this is less about matchup and more about opportunity. McCaffrey will get rushing opportunities and he will get targets against an opponent the 49ers have dominated in the regular season, winning the last seven meetings. Los Angeles will have designs on ending that streak, but the volume McCaffrey figures to receive makes him a must-start.
Wide Receiver: Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks vs. New York Giants
The matchup between the 6-1 Giants and the 4-3 Seahawks is one between two of the NFL's most surprising teams, and it promises to be a compelling one.
Though the Giants have given up only seven passing touchdowns this season, their defensive approach could play into the hands of the Seahawks.
In 2022, the Giants have blitzed 43.1 per cent of the time when defending the pass, according to Stats Perform data, well above the league average of 30.6 per cent.
When faced with five or more rushers or with a defensive back blitzing, Geno Smith has delivered a well-thrown ball on 85.7 per cent of attempts, the second-best among quarterbacks with at least 10 such passes.
In other words, he is excelling against the blitz and, with D.K. Metcalf out, Lockett will be a safety net who should be the beneficiary of a plethora of pass attempts.
Winning his matchup with a defender on 67.9 per cent of targets this season – the average is 61.7 for wide receivers with 25 or more targets – Lockett remains a supremely talented pass catcher who can take advantage of those opportunities and enjoy a huge fantasy day.
Tight End: Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh defense is not the force it once was, especially without T.J. Watt.
The Steelers are giving up 6.91 yards per pass play, the fifth-most in the league, and Goedert can capitalise on their vulnerability.
He has been targeted at least six times in four of his six games this season and has a big play rate of 34.8 per cent that is fifth-best among tight ends with at least 20 targets.
Goedert clearly has the trust of Jalen Hurts, with this matchup the perfect mix of opportunity and opponent for him to flourish and put up big fantasy points.
Defense/Special Teams: Buffalo Bills vs. Green Bay Packers
Starting a defense against Aaron Rodgers?!
That's how far the Packers have fallen, and fantasy owners should have no hesitation in starting the Bills against Green Bay's dismal passing attack.
Rodgers' average depth of target this is season is just 6.4 yards, with Green Bay lacking the ability to test defenses downfield with any kind of consistency.
Only two teams have more takeaways than the Bills (13), and the Buffalo defense – which has allowed a successful offensive play just 38 per cent of the time; the average is 39.4 – has the formula to frustrate Rodgers once again.
The Bills lead the league with a pressure rate of 45.4 per cent but blitz on just 15.1 per cent of passing downs. Simply put, they consistently get pressure with four pass rushers, giving them the resources in the back seven to rally to the ball and limit the impact of the short passing game on which Rodgers is suddenly reliant.
Buffalo can stop the Packers gaining yards and have a proclivity for taking the ball away. It promises to be a painful game for Rodgers and a productive one for the Bills' defense and those who start it in fantasy.
Mikel Arteta highlighted the importance of Arsenal securing top spot in Europa League Group A ahead of their showdown with PSV.
The Gunners confirmed their qualification from the first phase with a 1-0 victory over the Dutch giants last week, and a point at Philips Stadion would be enough to send them through as group winners.
Whoever finishes second in Group A will face a two-legged play-off against one of eight sides dropping out of the Champions League, with potential opponents including Juventus and Barcelona.
Arteta is subsequently keen to avoid any additional hassle.
"Last week, we made the first step, which was to qualify for the next round. We need to win [on Thursday] because we want to finish first," the Spaniard said during his pre-match press conference.
"This competition is getting harder and harder and how it looks today and what the possibilities are, it looks like the next round is going to be extremely competitive.
"That's why finishing first in the group and avoiding another two games is such an important thing for us."
Arteta, who will be without Marquinhos through illness for the trip to Eindhoven, also defended his decision not to rotate his squad more during the opening weeks of the season.
Arsenal have won 13 of their 15 matches across all competitions this term, though it was suggested the players looked fatigued during Sunday's 1-1 draw with Southampton.
"We don't have that many players," the Gunners boss added. "Even the players that we have, we are bringing four kids with us so we can make the squad.
"We need to put 11 players there, and they have to play. We cannot always change 10, 11 players every game."
Inter confirmed their place in the knockout stages of the Champions League and simultaneously eliminated Barcelona after cruising to an Edin Dzeko-led 4-0 win over Viktoria Plzen.
The Nerazzurri knew they would be through regardless if Barcelona failed to win later in the day at home to Bayern Munich, but Simone Inzaghi's men removed all doubt with a professional display.
Initially there were hints of nervousness when Inter spurned a couple of first-half opportunities, but Henrikh Mkhitaryan gave them the breakthrough before Dzeko ensured it was effectively game over – for Plzen and Barcelona – by half-time.
A clinical Dzeko finish just past the hour was then added to by a late Romelu Lukaku strike on his return from injury as Inter eased into the next round.
Inter's persistence paid off in the 35th minute following a frustrating first half-hour.
Alessandro Bastoni charged up the left and crossed after a one-two with Federico Dimarco, and Mkhitaryan was on hand to nod in at the back post.
Dzeko ducking out of the way proved crucial to Mkhitaryan getting that opportunity, though the Bosnian did not have to wait long for a goal of his own.
Dimarco latched on to Nicolo Barella's exquisite long-range pass and played a first-time ball into the danger zone for Dzeko to tap home close to half-time.
Mkhitaryan nearly added a spectacular second just after the break, his 25-yard effort clipping the outside of the post.
But Dzeko did double his tally, guiding a controlled left-footed effort into the bottom-left corner from the centre of the box following good work by Lautaro Martinez.
Substitute Lukaku then found the same corner in the 87th minute with an emphatic finish after two months out.
Henrik Stenson has emphatically denied suggestions he accepted the Ryder Cup captaincy to gain negotiating power for a more lucrative offer with the LIV Golf International Series.
The 46-year-old was stripped of Team Europe captaincy duties for next September's Ryder Cup after joining the Saudi-backed breakaway league in July.
Stenson won his first LIV Golf event in Bedminster at the start of August, aiming a dig at his dismissal as he stated "I guess we can agree I played like a captain".
As the Swede prepares for the last LIV Golf event of the season in Miami, Stenson refuted reports he had used his Ryder Cup offer to leverage a more financially rewarding offer with his new employers.
"I can give you a 100 per cent honest answer that it was never the case," he told Sportsmail. "I would be willing to take a lie-detector test on that."
Numerous former Ryder Cup captains, including Padraig Harrington and Mark James, concluded Stenson could have no complaints over his captaincy removal, though he insists he does not regret his decision.
"I am happy. I thought that through in more than one afternoon. I am happy with where I am at," he added. "I managed to get a win straight out of the box and I am looking forward to next year.
"I am enjoying being with the guys on this tour. We are playing together, travelling together and it has a different vibe to regular life on tour that I did for many years. That was great. But I am enjoying this.
"I haven't played anything but LIV events since the summer, so I mean going forward I am getting the off-season I have wanted for 16 or 17 years.
"I am looking forward to that – getting strong and healthy in the gym and getting ready for the new season in February. I am happy."
Stenson will play in his final event of the season at Trump National Doral, starting on Friday.
Detroit Lions rookie wide receiver Jameson Williams could make his NFL debut in "at least probably another month," head coach Dan Campbell said on Wednesday.
Williams, the 12th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, is recovering from a torn ACL in his left knee the former Alabama All-American suffered in the College Football Playoff national championship game in January.
ACL injuries typically involve a recovery process of up to a year.
"I do feel like we're gonna get him before it's all said and done," Campbell said.
The Lions (1-5) were not deterred by the injury as they traded up 20 spots with NFC North rival Minnesota to choose Williams.
The 21-year-old established himself as an elite prospect during his lone season at Alabama, becoming one of college football's most explosive receivers after transferring from Ohio State.
His 15 touchdown receptions in 2021 tied for third in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), and he led the Crimson Tide with 1,572 receiving yards on 79 catches.
Nine of Williams' 15 touchdown catches were from 40 or more yards, tops in the FBS last season, while his 11 receptions of 40 or more yards tied for second among major college players.
Russell Wilson appears likely to return from his injury layoff when the Denver Broncos face the Jacksonville Jaguars in London on Sunday.
The quarterback suffered a hamstring injury in the Broncos' 19-16 overtime defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6, causing him to sit out Sunday's 16-9 loss to the New York Jets.
The Broncos will look to improve on their poor 2-5 start to the season at Wembley Stadium, and should be boosted by the presence of their first-choice QB.
On Wednesday, head coach Nathaniel Hackett told reporters Wilson had done "quite a bit" in practice, and the former Seattle Seahawks man later added: "I feel great, I'm ready to rock".
Wilson's trade to Denver has not worked out as intended thus far, with the nine-time Pro Bowl QB completing just 58.6 per cent of his passes since landing a five-year, $245million contract in March.
However, he remains confident in his and the Broncos' ability to turn around their fortunes.
"As hard as it has been, and it hasn't been exactly what we wanted it to be, storms don't always last," Wilson added.
"This one's not going to last, because we're going to work our tails off and work through it. We're going to try to be the best we can possibly be."
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