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."

Erik ten Hag is backing Harry Maguire to play an important role for Manchester United after fellow defender Raphael Varane suffered an injury blow.

Maguire has only made two Premier League starts since Ten Hag took charge of United – both of which came in the humiliating back-to-back defeats to Brighton and Hove Albion and Brentford in August. 

However, Maguire could be set for a recall after Varane was ruled out until the World Cup next month, having suffered a leg injury in Saturday's dramatic 1-1 draw at Chelsea. 

Speaking ahead of Thursday's Europa League meeting with Sheriff, Ten Hag said Maguire had the ideal qualities to help the Red Devils.

"He always has an important role to play. He was injured and is happy he is back, and now he has to get back into games," Ten Hag said.

"I understand the interest, but we look at United. We have to get the right results.

"It's always about performance, about presentation. Regarding his qualities, there's no problem. He is a great player and has great capabilities to do a job for us."

Varane's injury has put him at risk of missing France's World Cup defence, with Didier Deschamps' Bleus set to begin their Group D campaign against Australia on November 22.

However, Ten Hag does not believe it is club coaches' responsibility to rest players during a packed pre-tournament schedule, adding: "I think it is the wrong idea. 

"They only have [a few] weeks and then the World Cup starts. You have to keep the right fitness, the right shape. 

"It is not optimum, but that is something the national managers have to deal with."

Conor Benn has relinquished his British Board of Control (BBBofC) boxing licence after the governing body announced it had upheld allegations of misconduct.

Benn's scheduled bout with Chris Eubank Jr was postponed earlier this month after it emerged the 26-year-old had tested positive for banned substance clomifene.

The BBBofC subsequently prohibited the fight from taking place, despite promoters from both sides attempting to force a U-turn.

Benn's father, former WBO middleweight and WBC super-middleweight champion Nigel Benn, declared they would "get to the bottom of this" following the fight's postponement, with his son later writing on his Instagram account: "I hope the apology is as loud as the disrespect."

A statement from the BBBofC on Wednesday said: "By a notice dated 17th October 2022, Mr Conor Benn was called by the Board of the BBBofC to attend a hearing to deal with allegations of misconduct pursuant to Rule 25.1.1. The hearing took place on 21st October 2022.

"On the morning of the hearing, Mr Benn voluntarily relinquished his licence with the BBBofC.

"In accordance with its rules and regulations, the Board determined the allegations following the hearing at which Mr Benn was legally represented.

"The allegations against Mr Benn were upheld."

Ian Poutler has refuted Rory McIlroy's claim that players joining the LIV Golf Invitational Series engaged in a "betrayal" of their former Ryder Cup team-mates.

Five players who featured in Europe's comprehensive defeat at last year's Ryder Cup have since joined the controversial breakaway circuit, including Poulter, Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia.

Meanwhile, Henrik Stenson was stripped of Team Europe's captaincy for next year's competition – set to take place at Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome – following his own decision to join LIV Golf.

It remains uncertain whether players from the LIV circuit will be able to feature at the 2023 Ryder Cup, and McIlroy has repeatedly insisted they should not. 

Speaking to the Guardian on Tuesday, McIlroy went a step further, saying: "I think it is the first time in my life that I have felt betrayal, in a way. It's an unfamiliar feeling to me. You build bonds with these people through Ryder Cups and other things."

Poulter responded to that statement at a press conference ahead of LIV's next event in Miami, saying: "A betrayal? I mean, we can still qualify for the team, as far as I'm aware, unless we've been told we can't qualify.

"I'm still ready to play as much as I possibly can and try and make that team.

"My commitment to the Ryder Cup, I think goes before me. I don't think that should ever come into question. 

"I've always wanted to play Ryder Cups and play with as much passion as anyone else that I've ever seen play a Ryder Cup, I don't know where those comments really come from, to be honest."

Phil Mickelson – one of the first household names to join LIV Golf – spoke alongside Poulter on Wednesday but refused to engage with McIlroy's claim the circuit's feud with the PGA Tour was "out of control". 

"I think a lot of Rory, I really have the utmost respect for him, [for] what he's done in the game and how he's played this year," Mickelson said. 

"I have a tonne of respect for him. As players, we have three months off after this event to talk about things like that and so forth."

Eddie Hearn was not concerned by the failure to secure Anthony Joshua a fight against Tyson Fury, and named Dillian Whyte and Deontay Wilder as potential opponents for Joshua in 2023.

Discussions between Joshua and Fury regarding a December 3 bout collapsed earlier this month, with promoters on both sides publicly blaming each other for the breakdown in a deal.

It was the second time a proposed 'Battle of Britain' fight between the two had fallen through, having previously agreed to face one another in Saudi Arabia last year before Fury was ordered to honour his rematch with Wilder.

While a second collapse of the fight was disappointing for boxing fans, Hearn conceded he always felt it was not the right move to make.

"I don't sit here today, as someone who represents Anthony Joshua, devastated that fight didn't happen," he told Talksport.

"He wanted to take it, so I was all in, but it was a very quick turnaround for him in a fight of that magnitude."

While Fury will return to the ring in December, facing Derek Chisora in a trilogy bout at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Joshua is unlikely to fight until the first quarter of 2023, with Hearn naming Whyte and Wilder as potential opponents next year.

"I think he's going to fight [in] January or February, early next year. I think the fight you'll see is Dillian Whyte against Anthony Joshua," he added.

"Wilder is [also] definitely a fight for 2023. He's got to fight Andy Ruiz Jr in a final eliminator for the WBC, which is a tremendous fight.

"I think AJ vs Wilder might just be the biggest fight in boxing, you only need the edge of your seat to watch that fight. It's super dangerous and someone's going to sleep, but it's two fast, explosive, huge punching, heavyweight machines.

"I think you'll see either Wilder or Fury against AJ next year, but I think you'll definitely see the Dillian Whyte fight if he can get through Jermaine Franklin."

Whyte is due to face Franklin in London on November 23.

Max Verstappen has seen numerous records fall his way this season and one of the most illustrious is up for grabs this weekend in Mexico, where a victory would take him to 14 for the season.

Such a win would see him become the driver to have won the most races in a single season, having joined Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel on 13 with his success in the United States.

That triumph was his ninth this season without starting in pole, surpassing Lewis Hamilton (eight) for the most such wins in a single campaign, and will be full of confidence given a stellar record in Mexico - where he has prevailed three times (2018, 2019, 2021). Verstappen and Jim Clark share the record for the most Mexican Grand Prix wins.

Red Bull also have a team record in their sight, having now won eight races in a row to stand one shy of the nine victories in a row they secured in 2013, which is the sixth-longest winning streak for a team in F1 history.

While Verstappen and Red Bull are in search of further records, Lewis Hamilton is looking to avoid one as he is still in search of his first victory in 2022 and the Mercedes driver was strong in the United States.

The British driver has never finished a Formula One season in his career without a race win and has just three grands prix to ensure that this is not the year when he stands winless for the first time.

Much of the attention will continue to be off the track, however, with Red Bull's cost-cap breach in 2021 yet to be resolved and dominating the discussions, though a final outcome should be right around the corner.

Pole variety

The Mexican Grand Prix has seen 10 different racers on pole position in the last 10 editions, a record that will almost certainly be extended after qualifying on Saturday as 2021 pole sitter Valtteri Bottas is now at Alfa Romeo.

The last driver to win consecutive pole positions in this race was Ayrton Senna in 1988 and 1989.

Leclerc's late change

Charles Leclerc was Max Verstappen's biggest threat early in the season but a plethora of problems derailed the title ambitions of the Ferrari driver, with mistakes, bad luck and mechanical issues all plaguing his performances.

Some consistency has been found recently, however, with Leclerc finishing on the podium in each of his last five Formula One races – his longest such run in his career.

Audi and Sauber have announced their partnership in Formula One, which will see the team race as a factory entrant from 2026.

Confirmation of Audi's move into Formula One had been announced earlier this year and it was long expected that the Swiss team would become the home for the German car giant.

Wednesday's announcement sets out the future for the Sauber team, who see their branding deal with Alfa Romeo expire at the end of 2023 and will have two further seasons with Ferrari as an engine supplier before the unification with Audi.

Formula One's engine supplier regulations have been adapted from 2026 onwards, encouraging new entrants to come forward, and Audi is among them alongside sister company Porsche, who are looking for a partnership of their own on the grid.

Finn Rausing, the chairman of Sauber Holding, said in a statement: "Audi is the best partner for the Sauber Group. It is clear that both companies share the same values and vision. We are looking forward to achieving our common goals with a strong and successful partnership."

Manchester United have been charged by the Football Association (FA) for the second time in a little over a week for failing to control their players.

The latest incident is in relation to their protests over a Chelsea penalty during Saturday's 1-1 Premier League draw.

United were incensed by Stuart Attwell's decision to award a spot-kick for a Scott McTominay foul on Armando Broja, which was subsequently converted by Jorginho in the 87th minute.

While Casemiro rescued a point in injury time, the reaction of United's players when crowding the official has seen them hit with another charge from the FA for their actions.

It is United's second breach of FA rules this month, having been accused of failing to control their players after Cristiano Ronaldo had a goal disallowed in their goalless draw with Newcastle United on October 16.

An FA statement on Wednesday read: "Manchester United FC has been charged with a breach of FA Rule E20.1 following its Premier League game against Chelsea FC on Saturday 22nd October in the Premier League.

"Manchester United FC allegedly failed to ensure that its players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion during the 84th minute, and the club has until Friday 28th October to provide a response."

Manchester United must "show consistency" before they can discuss if they are catching up with their rivals, according to Christian Eriksen.

The Denmark international arrived during the close season at Old Trafford alongside new boss Erik ten Hag, with the Dutchman tasked in ensuring a turnaround in fortunes for United.

Following a rocky start to the campaign, the Premier League side have shown vast improvements since, albeit with some less-than-stellar results – such as a derby thrashing from Manchester City –along the way.

Ahead of Thursday's Europa League tie with Sheriff, which United enter unbeaten in six games, Eriksen played down suggestions there is more pressure upon United than his former clubs, adding he feels they are making strides forward.

"The pressure has been the same, the focus on the outside is bigger," he stated. "Publicity around the club is bigger but pressure around the football, I don't feel it.

"I think you can see the development in the games, how we go into them. You see it with the fans and with us. But we need to show our consistency before we can compare to other teams."

With the season set to be bisected by the Qatar 2022 World Cup, Eriksen could be eyeing a return to major tournament football a year and a half on from suffering cardiac arrest at Euro 2020.

But he says his focus remains on club matters for now, adding: "For every footballer it is the same. We are focused on the next game."

Jos Buttler hopes to refocus England for a "massive" T20 World Cup encounter with Australia following their "poor" loss to Ireland at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday.

A rain-affected encounter ultimately came to a close with a famous victory for Andrew Balbirnie's side, with a five-run triumph via the DLS method.

With a win and a loss to their name so far, England's hopes of progression through to the semi-finals from a competitive Group 1 have taken a hit, though New Zealand's washout against Afghanistan will come as a boost.

Regardless, Buttler was left frustrated by his side's performance, and acknowledges their next match at the MCG, with their Ashes rivals, will be a do-or-die test.

"We were poor," he told the BBC's Test Match Special. "We were a long way short of where we needed to be, and we let Ireland get away from us. We won the toss, but we didn't take advantage.

"Friday is massive. This result has put a lot of pressure on us now, but it is as big as it can get, to get us up for it at the MCG."

Balbirnie, whose 62 helped lay the groundwork for Ireland's victory, hailed the result as "pretty special", particularly to achieve it on Melbourne's hallowed ground.

"It's amazing, and it is emotional," he said. "We've never played a game of cricket here. 

"To come here and play the tournament favourites, with so many big names, and put on a show in front of friends and family and so many people around the world is very satisfying.

"To do this at one of the most amazing cricket grounds in the world is pretty special."