Borussia Dortmund head coach Nuri Sahin says a strong mentality will not be enough as his side need "everything" to overcome a tough test at Real Madrid on Tuesday.
Madrid won their 15th European Cup in June at Wembley as Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Junior scored late to claim a 2-0 victory over Dortmund, then managed by Edin Terzic.
Sahin has since took charge of the Bundesliga side, though he knows one of European football's most difficult challenges awaits in the Spanish capital.
"Mentality only is not enough to survive against Real Madrid, especially in this stadium, against the champions of this competition," Sahin told a press conference on Monday ahead of the Champions League clash.
"We need everything [on Tuesday]. We need a lot of quality, a lot of self-confidence, mentality of course and also, as we say in Germany, game luck.
"The game has to go our way, so only mentality will not be enough - but of course without mentality we have absolutely no chance here."
Dortmund maintained a winning start to the competition with a 7-1 thrashing of Celtic at home earlier this month after they eased to a 3-0 win at Club Brugge in their opening fixture.
Sahin's men lead the revamped Champions League standings on six points with an impressive goal difference of nine.
"It's only possible [to continue this way] as a collective against this team," Sahin added.
"The lads know what we have planned. We want to be brave and build on the last two games in the Champions League."
Sahin, who played for both clubs, will visit Bernabeu for the first time as a coach following his appointment last summer. The former Turkey midfielder was Edin Terzic's assistant manager at the club prior to that.
"[Being back] means a lot to me because it was always my dream to play one day for Real Madrid. My son was born in this beautiful city, and I have him with me [here]," Sahin said.
"Now I have the privilege to be on the sidelines with my childhood club against one of my biggest dreams, so it means a lot to me.
"Even if it was not that long that I played for Real Madrid, it will always remain special for me. Not only for footballing reasons but also family-wise, it's a fantastic thing to be here."
Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL) has issued an apology to its customers and stakeholders following the cancellation of Monday’s Heroes' Day race meet at Caymanas Park. The cancellation came after a series of disruptions stemming from the disqualification of the first-place finisher in Race 2, which caused unrest among some punters at the track.
In a statement, SVREL explained the incident: "On Monday, October 21, 2024, a series of unfortunate events led to the disruption and subsequent cancellation of races at Caymanas Park by the Jamaica Racing Commission Stewards."
The unrest began when the stewards' decision in Race 2 led to the disqualification of the initial winner. Displeased with the result, some punters expressed their dissatisfaction by throwing debris, creating an unsafe environment for patrons, participants, and horses.
"After the announcement of the race results, some punters became agitated and expressed their dissatisfaction in a manner that compromised the safety and security of all present. This included the throwing of debris across the Park, creating an unsafe environment for patrons, participants, and horses alike," the statement continued.
As the situation grew more volatile, trainers began voicing concerns for their safety, leading to the cancellation of subsequent races.
"In light of this development and prioritizing the safety of the horses, horsemen, punters, and all attendees, the stewards made the decision to abandon race 4 and subsequently, the entire race meet for the day," SVREL said.
The company further emphasized that security personnel, supported by the police, were working to manage the situation and prevent any further escalation.
SVREL concluded by offering a formal apology for the inconvenience caused: "Supreme Ventures Racing & Entertainment Limited, the operator of Caymanas Park, extends our sincerest apologies to our valued customers and stakeholders for the inconvenience caused by the abandonment of the race meet."
The company reiterated its commitment to the safety of all involved in the sport, while promising to address the issues that led to the disruption.
Oliver Glasner acknowledged tough times are aplenty at Crystal Palace but urged his side to come together after their 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest.
Monday's defeat marked just the fourth time in Palace history that they have gone winless through their first eight league games to start a campaign (also in 1922-23, 1973-74 and 1992-93).
Chris Wood's second-half finish, squirming under the grasp of a disappointed Dean Henderson, proved the difference at the City Ground.
Sitting 18th in the table and a point adrift of safety, Austria's Glasner issued a rallying cry in the face of adversity.
"We are all frustrated and disappointed and as always one or two situations decide the game," Glasner told Sky Sports.
"At the moment it goes against us, but this is the time we have to get through it together.
"I saw the team fighting from the first to the last second, we created chances, hit the post twice. At the moment, we don't score goals and we have to be honest.
"No goal today, no goal against Liverpool, no goal versus [Manchester] United, and if you play like this it is difficult to win.
"We make one mistake and we get punished. That is the situation we are in. But the only guys that can turn it around is this team."
Goals remain a problem for Glasner's side, with the Eagles failing to find the net in half of their top-flight outings this season.
That may come as little surprise, though, considering Palace have failed to score in 150 Premier League games since their return to the division in 2013, which is at least 28 more than any other side.
Glasner remains confident in his struggling team to turn things around, however.
"We worked and worked and worked to come back, but they do not concede many goals at the moment," he added. "It's disappointing, but the mindset of the players makes me positive for the future.
"You can trust us. We are the guys that may suffer the most. I see the players now in the dressing room, and it is our job to support them, to lift their heads up and stay positive, but it's not that easy.
"We have to rely on the experience of the group, some of the players will have seen this at previous clubs, to come back and work together and go again."
Wood, meanwhile, became just the third player to reach 20 Premier League goals for Forest, after Bryan Roy (24) and Stan Collymore (22), when his right-footed volley snuck past the hand of Henderson.
That strike lifted Forest up to eighth in the table after their first home win of the season, and the New Zealand international believes improvements are still to come under Nuno Espirito Santo.
"You have to have as high expectations as possible and keep believing that you can keep doing better and better," he told Sky Sports.
"How we have started the season, we believe we can keep improving and pushing further and further up the table."
Crystal Palace's concerning start to their Premier League campaign continued as Chris Wood's second-half strike powered Nottingham Forest to a 1-0 win on Monday.
Oliver Glasner's side are now winless in their first eight league games of the 2024-25 campaign after a profligate showing ended in defeat at the City Ground.
Opportunities were aplenty in an enthralling first half as both sides were denied by the woodwork, while Wood spurned a pair of golden opportunities from close range.
Yet Wood atoned for his first-half struggles after 65 minutes, however, when Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson failed to keep out a tame from the edge of the box.
Eberechi Eze and Eddie Nketiah both went close for Palace before that Wood winner, but Matz Sels was in inspired form to keep Glasner's Eagles at bay.
The narrow victory lifted battling Forest up to eighth in the table, while Palace sit 18th and a point adrift of Ipswich Town.
Data Debrief: Profligate Palace punished
This was the 150th Premier League game that Palace have failed to score in since returning to the division in 2013-14, which is 28 more than any other side in the same timeframe.
That was not for a lack of trying, though, as Glasner's side accumulated 1.12 expected goals (xG) to Forest's 1.62.
But it was a familiar tale as Wood proved the difference – since the start of last season only Erling Haaland (12), Cole Palmer and Dominic Solanke (both nine) have scored more openers in the Premier League than the Forest striker's eight.
Naomi Osaka apologised after a troublesome back injury forced her to withdraw from the Hong Kong Open and cut her comeback season short.
The four-time major champion was expected to feature in the final WTA 500 event of the year but has pulled out, still citing an injury she suffered in the China Open against Coco Gauff this month.
Osaka has posted a 22-17 record since returning from maternity leave, but her comeback campaign was confirmed to have hit an abrupt end on Monday.
"I'm really sorry that I have had to withdraw from competing at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open and the rest of this tennis season," said Osaka.
"I love visiting the tournament and, despite the obvious disappointment of not being able to play, I want to reassure all my wonderful Hong Kong fans that I will still be attending the event.
"I am very much looking forward to meeting you all.
"There is a wonderful line-up of world-class players coming to the tournament and I want to wish them all the best of luck in this exciting event."
Osaka racked up six victories over top-20 opponents this year, including her first win over a top-10 opponent in two years by beating Jelena Ostapenko in the first round of the US Open.
Peter Johnston, the director of International Events at the Hong Kong, China Tennis Association, offered his well-wishes to Osaka despite her withdrawal.
"We are obviously very disappointed that Naomi has had to withdraw from competing, and we sincerely hope that she makes a speedy recovery from her injuries," he said.
"We are nevertheless confident that we have a stellar field of world-class players to enthuse and excite Hong Kong tennis fans."
Unai Emery insists Aston Villa must continue striving to "break barriers" as the club look to take a big step towards qualifying for the Champions League knockout stages.
Emery's side welcome Bologna to Villa Park on Tuesday, aiming to maintain their perfect record in the competition so far.
They also come into the encounter unbeaten in nine games in all competitions after defeating Fulham 3-1 in the Premier League, a result that propelled them into the top four.
Emery is looking to pick up his 25th Champions League win, and would become the fifth Spanish manager to reach that total after Pep Guardiola, Rafael Benítez, Vicente del Bosque and Luis Enrique.
But aside from personal accolades, Emery has his eyes set on helping the Villans become regular contenders for silverware during his time at the helm.
"I don't want to waste my time here, that is my message," said Emery. "We want to achieve the objectives and one of them is to play in the Champions League.
"It is not about playing there only because of some circumstances - I want us to stay there for a long time.
"You have to be resilient. We want to be strong in the idea in our mind and create a strong mentality to always break barriers."
Should Villa beat the Serie A side, they will also equal their longest streak of victories in the European Cup or Champions League, last earning three consecutive wins between September and October 1981.
Emery will celebrate his second anniversary as Villa manager on Thursday but is only looking at how he can help the club continue to grow after their meteoric rise under his stewardship in the last 24 months.
"The most important thing is for us how we are increasing our demands and with those getting the objectives we are facing each year," he outlined.
"Two years ago we avoided a risk of relegation and even had time to get a position in the Conference League, which was amazing in the first seven months we had here.
"Last year we continued our process, and we increased a lot our demands, getting the Champions League.
"The challenge is to get better every day, and now how can we keep the same level we have now for a long time? That’s the most difficult thing.
"When you achieve an objective at a high level, how can you be demanding and successful in keeping it? That’s the idea I have now. The club is in the same way.
"The players are with the same message I am giving you here. The words I use repeatedly since I arrived here to now is I don’t want to waste my time here.
"That’s the message for everyone. I don’t want you to waste your time here. We are professionals, and we can get our best objectives individually and collectively.
"We want to keep the level we have now, which is the Champions League, and add something more like being a contender for a trophy."
Tuesday's fixture against Bologna will be the first time the two sides faced each other in any competition, though Villa have struggled against sides from Italy.
They have lost four of their six major European games against Italian sides, with the two wins both coming at home against Inter in 1990 and 1994, in the UEFA Cup.
Liam Livingstone will captain England for the first time in the ODI series against West Indies, with Jos Buttler unavailable after a setback in his injury recovery.
Buttler has not played since the T20 World Cup disappointment due to a calf injury, and will not feature in the three-match series of the 50-over clashes.
Wicket-keeper and star batter Buttler will return for the five-match T20I series that follows in the Windies, though his absence allows Livingstone to complete a remarkable turnaround for his country.
Lancashire all-rounder Livingstone was left out of the squad initially for last month's white-ball fixtures with Australia, but earned a recall thanks to Buttler's injury issues.
The 31-year-old will now lead his country with a side that also includes uncapped Essex wicket-keeper Michael Pepper in the squad after he impressed in England's T20 Blast domestic competition.
Harry Brook had captained England in Buttler's absence against Australia, but the Yorkshire batter will be unavailable due to his ongoing involvement in the Test tour of Pakistan.
Livingstone will hope for victory in his first outing leading the side when England start the three-match ODI series against the Windies in Antigua on October 31.
England white-ball squad:
Jos Buttler (Lancashire – captain) T20 series only, Jofra Archer (Sussex), Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire), Jafer Chohan (Yorkshire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Will Jacks (Surrey), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Dan Mousley (Warwickshire), Jamie Overton (Surrey), Michael Pepper (Essex), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Phil Salt (Lancashire), Reece Topley (Surrey), John Turner (Hampshire).
Girona head coach Michel has insisted his side will not tiptoe around the challenges of the Champions League amid an injury crisis at the club.
Michel's men welcome Slovan Bratislava to the Estadi Municipal de Montilivi on Tuesday, hoping to secure their first three points of the competition this season.
However, they must do so without several of their first-team players.
It was confirmed by Michel that Girona would be without striker Abel Ruiz and young playmaker Gabriel Misehouy, only adding to the Blanquivermells' injury woes.
The pair join the likes of Viktor Tsygankov, Oriol Romeu, Jhon Solis, Portu, Bryan Gil, Pau Lopez and Yaser Asprilla as the players unavailable for the clash against the Slovakian outfit.
"We have no one back, and we are missing Abel Ruiz due to adductor problems. Misehouy is also missing because he can't play," Michel told reporters.
"Marc Aznar, (Juan) Arango, Selvi (Clua), and two goalkeepers will come from the reserve team and we have to evaluate them.
"Even so, we have 11 players to form a starting side."
Having lost to Paris Saint-Germain and Feyenoord, Girona's absentees have made earning that first win a little bit tougher for the Catalan club.
Should Girona lose on Tuesday, they would become the first Spanish side to suffer defeats in each of their first three Champions League games.
But Michel wants his players to appreciate where they find themselves this season after finishing third in LaLiga last season.
"Playing in the Champions League with Girona cannot be just another game," Michel said.
"I don't want to tiptoe around this competition and that people don't give it the value it has," the coach said.
"It has a lot of merit for what we have done and also for the club, which has made efforts, and we have to enjoy it and value it.
"For me, tomorrow is a very special day, just like the two previous matches."
Kylian Mbappe should be scoring more goals for Real Madrid, so says Carlo Ancelotti ahead of their upcoming Champions League fixture with Borussia Dortmund.
Since his arrival from Paris Saint-Germain, Mbappe has eight goals in 12 appearances in all competitions, six of which have come in LaLiga this term.
The 25-year-old was on target in Los Blancos' 2-1 win over Celta Vigo on Saturday, though he was replaced by Dani Ceballos for the final eight minutes of the game.
He has registered 44 shots this season, more than any other player in LaLiga, while only Robert Lewandowski (22) has had more shots on target than Mbappe (20).
The Frenchman, however, has underperformed his expected goals (xG) tally of 7.18 in the Spanish top-flight, something Ancelotti wants him to improve on.
"I want Mbappe to score goals, I prefer he scores rather than pressing," Ancelotti said.
"The centre-forward’s role hasn’t changed, I ask the same of him that I asked of (former Real striker player) Karim Benzema.
"Mbappe needs to position himself well and be smart every time we recover the ball to make a quick transition."
Madrid are preparing to face Dortmund in a repeat of the Champions League final of last season, though Mbappe has struggled against them of late.
Dortmund are the opponent that Mbappe has faced the most times in the Champions League (eight).
After scoring three goals in his first two games against them (in 2016-17 for Monaco), he’s only netted once in the last six and failed to find the net in the last three.
Ancelotti also praised Jude Bellingham for his start to the season, despite the England midfielder failing to find the back of the net so far this season.
Bellingham netted 23 goals and added 13 assists in all competitions during his debut season with Los Blancos, winning two trophies along the way.
Since the start of last season, Bellingham has delivered the joint-most assists in the Champions League (five - level with Marcel Sabitzer), and Ancelotti is not concerned by the 21-year-old's lack of goals this term.
"We are satisfied with Bellingham's work. He works hard on the field, competes, fights and makes sacrifices," Ancelotti said.
"He hasn’t scored like last year, but that was unexpected.
"We’ve always managed to score and will continue to because we have a lot of talent up front. Bellingham's role is more important than the goals he scored last year."
Kylian Mbappe should be scoring more goals for Real Madrid, so says Carlo Ancelotti ahead of their upcoming Champions League fixture with Borussia Dortmund.
Since his arrival from Paris Saint-Germain, Mbappe has eight goals in 12 appearances in all competitions, six of which have come in LaLiga this term.
The 25-year-old was on target in Los Blancos' 2-1 win over Celta Vigo on Saturday, though he was replaced by Dani Ceballos for the final eight minutes of the game.
He has registered 44 shots this season, more than any other player in LaLiga, while only Robert Lewandowski (22) has had more shots on target than Mbappe (20).
The Frenchman, however, has underperformed his expected goals (xG) tally of 7.18 in the Spanish top-flight, something Ancelotti wants him to improve on.
"I want Mbappe to score goals, I prefer he scores rather than pressing," Ancelotti said.
"The centre-forward’s role hasn’t changed, I ask the same of him that I asked of (former Real striker player) Karim Benzema.
"Mbappe needs to position himself well and be smart every time we recover the ball to make a quick transition."
Madrid are preparing to face Dortmund in a repeat of the Champions League final from last season, though Mbappe has struggled against the German side of late.
Dortmund are the opponent that Mbappe has faced the most times in the Champions League (eight).
But after scoring three goals in his first two games against them (in 2016-17 for Monaco), he’s only netted once in the last six and failed to find the net in the last three.
Ancelotti also praised Jude Bellingham for his start to the season, despite the England midfielder failing to find the back of the net so far this season.
Bellingham netted 23 goals and added 13 assists in all competitions during his debut season with Los Blancos, winning two trophies along the way.
Since the start of last season, Bellingham has delivered the joint-most assists in the Champions League (five - level with Marcel Sabitzer), and Ancelotti is not concerned by the 21-year-old's lack of goals this term.
"We are satisfied with Bellingham's work. He works hard on the field, competes, fights and makes sacrifices," Ancelotti said.
"He hasn’t scored like last year, but that was unexpected.
"We’ve always managed to score and will continue to because we have a lot of talent up front. Bellingham's role is more important than the goals he scored last year."
Thiago Motta believes his team must make strides with their consistency to compete in the Champions League and Serie A during his first season at the helm.
Motta, who took charge of Juventus at the start of the campaign, is unbeaten in his first 10 games, winning six and drawing four in all competitions so far.
Juventus needed a late own-goal from Mario Gila to edge past Lazio at the weekend, with the triumph ensuring they kept pace with the top two in Serie A.
Motta's side, however, are among the lowest scorers in Italy's top flight with 11 - only nine teams in the division have scored fewer in the league than Juventus.
However, Juventus have been prolific in this season's Champions League, scoring six goals in their two games, and are one of only seven sides with a perfect record so far.
And ahead of facing Bundesliga outfit Stuttgart at the Allianz Stadium on Tuesday, Motta has said his players must continue to improve if they are to achieve success.
"There is no difference between the league and the Champions League," Motta told reporters on Monday.
"We must always have the same attitude, each match is a story in itself - with evolving strategies and situations.
"It's not just us who have difficulties against teams that close down well, everyone struggles, football is like that and that's why we have to give our all and believe until the end.
"We must continue to improve in all aspects, both in terms of the game and mentally. We hope to perform well, playing good football. That is the way we will have a chance of winning."
Motta was also asked about Turkish teenager Kenan Yildiz, who impressed at Euro 2024 but has yet to start firing for Juventus this term.
The 19-year-old has failed to score in his eight Serie A appearances, managing just two assists so far.
However, Yildiz has shown his quality in the Champions League.
He produced a fine finish in Juventus' 3-1 win over PSV Eindhoven, becoming the club's youngest-ever goalscorer in the competition, surpassing Alessandro del Piero's previous record.
"I'm happy with the work Yildiz does on the pitch, he puts all his quality at the disposal of the team," Motta said.
"He can certainly do better. He was only born in 2005 and he's already making an impact.
"I'm happy with what I see both as a wide player and when he comes in more centrally."
Motta will be hoping Yildiz can help play a starring role as the Italian boss aims to become the third Juventus manager after Fabio Capello (first five) in 2004-05 and Marcelo Lippi in 1995-96 (first four) to win his first three Champions League games.
He has reason to be confident too. Juventus have won each of their last five major European games against German sides (all since 2019-20), which is already their best winning run against such opposition.
Deshaun Watson won't take another snap for the Cleveland Browns this season.
An MRI on Monday confirmed that Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon rupture in Sunday's 21-14 home loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
The results of the tests were expected after the embattled quarterback was injured on a non-contact play with 1:26 remaining in the first half.
Watson took a snap and dropped back to pass, but when he tried to plant his right foot, his leg buckled underneath him. He immediately dropped to the ground and was carted off the field after he was tended to by trainers.
With Sunday's loss, the Browns fell to 1-6 this season.
Watson is in the third year of a five-year, $230million fully guaranteed contract he signed with the Browns in March 2022 after being traded from the Houston Texans.
He has not lived up to the mega-contract, however, playing in just six games in each of his first two seasons in Cleveland before making it to seven this year.
In his first season in 2022, he served an 11-game suspension and in 2023, he was limited to just six starts because of a shoulder injury that required surgery.
In seven games this season, Watson had five touchdowns and three interceptions, ranking 27th in passer rating (79.0) and 31st in pass yards per attempt (5.31).
He was replaced Sunday by Dorian Thompson-Robinson, but he later left with a finger injury and was replaced by Jameis Winston.
The Browns have been a mess offensively and just traded away their top receiver Amari Cooper last week, though they did manage to top 300 yards of total offence Sunday for the first time this season (336).
They still failed to reach 20 points, and their 109 total points are the franchise's fewest through seven games since the 2017 team scored 103.
Aryna Sabalenka has ended Iga Swiatek 11-month reign at the summit of the world rankings ahead of the WTA finals.
Sabalenka previously held the top spot for eight weeks from September to November last year, and has returned once again after a sensational run of form.
The Belarusian has compiled a record of 20-1 since mid-August, during which she claimed her third grand slam title at the US Open after beating home favourite Jessica Pegula.
Sabalenka also recently claimed the Cincinnati Open and Wuhan Open titles, while she also started the year with a major triumph at the Australian Open.
She is the player with the most wins in 2024 with 46, including the women's singles grand slam and WTA-1000 events, one more than Swiatek who is in second.
The next chance for Swiatek to return to number one is the season-ending WTA Finals next month in Riyadh.
Paulo Fonseca believes Milan have shown "signs of growth" in the Champions League, as he looks to get their first win against Club Brugge on Tuesday.
Milan faced Liverpool and reigning Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen in their opening two games in the competition, losing the first 3-1 at home and the latter 1-0.
They were outplayed in their opener, managing just two shots on target from eight efforts, compared to Liverpool's 11 from 23, with the Reds also racking up 3.09 expected goals (xG) to Milan's 0.61.
Fonseca's side put on a better show at the BayArena against Leverkusen, and the Portuguese head coach hopes they can translate that into a victory in what is almost a must-win match.
"We started against two of the strongest teams in Europe right now. They were two different games," he told reporters.
"Difficulties against Liverpool, quality against Leverkusen, especially in the second half. We didn't win, but we showed signs of growth.
"We have to continue to grow in this competition, and we want to win if we want to have a chance to continue. It's not decisive, but it is important, we have to win."
Fonseca also confirmed Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez will return to the starting line-up after missing Saturday's Serie A match against Udinese.
Hernandez was suspended for that game after his red card in the 2-1 defeat at Fiorentina, while the winger was dropped to the bench after that loss, which left Fonseca furious.
Samuel Chukwueze, who scored the winner against Udinese, is set to be among the substitutes against Brugge as Fonseca took the unusual step of naming his line-up.
"They will play tomorrow from the first minute," he added.
"I expect from them what I expect from everyone, that they give their best to help Milan win. It's a normal situation, even for them. And tomorrow they play."
"I will tell you straight away [Tuesday's] team. Mike Maignan, Emerson Royal, Matteo Gabbia, Fikayo Tomori, Hernandez, Youssouf Fofana, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Tijani Reijnders, Leao, Christian Pulisic, Alvaro Morata."
Milan have a shortage of strikers. Tammy Abraham went off injured minutes after coming onto the pitch on Saturday, while Luka Jovic was not included in the Champions League squad.
Francesco Camarda has been called up from the youth squad and if he were to come on and score at 16 years and 226 days, he would become the youngest-ever scorer in the competition.
"This is not a normal situation to have Abraham and Jovic out," Fonseca said. "Normally we always have solutions, plus we have Camarda in whom we believe a lot. I don't think we need other players in this position."
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