Denmark were perhaps fortunate to progress to the men's team pursuit final after Frederik Madsen crashed into the back of Great Britain's Charlie Tanfield in the closing kilometre.
The Danes, who were over two seconds ahead of their opponents, were easing to victory in the heats until lead rider Madsen inexplicably smashed into Tanfield, meaning just two riders from each side crossed the finish line.
The crash prompted an angry response from Madsen and left both teams awaiting further judgement from the officials, with Denmark claiming they had made the catch before the collision.
The UCI deliberated before confirming Denmark's place in the final, as race officials felt a successful catch – deemed to be made by a team of three when they are within one metre of the other team's last rider – had been completed.
The crash capped an eventful day in cycling, with Tanfield serving as a late replacement for Ed Clancy, who retired on Tuesday with a back injury, amid a row over Denmark's illegal equipment from Monday's qualifying session.
Prior to Tuesday's meeting, British Cycling performance director Stephen Park further fuelled the grudge match by confirming Britain were one of "several" teams calling for the Danes to be disqualified due to their use of plastering on shins to improve aerodynamics.
Madsen, speaking after the crash, explained how the unexpected collision happened and also defended against the allegations of unfair equipment use.
I knew that there was a GB guy. I didn't know if he was the third man or the fourth one, or first or second man. Suddenly he was just in front of me, and I couldn't react," he said.
"It's just a shame and again I hope Charlie [Tanfield] is okay.
"We don't have anything to do with our equipment, clothes and the rest out of the sport. We just go on the bikes and we just ride our race. That's the only job that we have.
"We do what our team tells us to do. Ask a Formula One driver if he knows everything about the car – he does not. So, we don't know anything about our equipment. Ask our team, not us."
Italy, who set a new world record of 3:42.307 in their heat against New Zealand, now stand in Denmark's way of a gold medal on Thursday.
GERMANY SET NEW WORLD RECORD
In the women's team pursuit heats, Germany and Great Britain exchanged world-best times before the former's 4:06.159 reclaimed the record to set up a ride for gold between the two.
Germany, who had not claimed a medal in this specific event since its 2012 introduction, then left Laura Kenny's team in their tracks as they cruised to victory, setting a new world record of 4:04.242.
Kenny's silver meant she became just the fourth British woman to win at least five medals at the Games, though she admitted an element of shock at Germany's performance.
"I think they [Germany] took everyone by surprise," Kenny told BBC Sport after the final. "They were the quickest at the worlds, it was just in qualifying they didn't get it right.
"I think they ran fourth or fifth. We knew they were going to go fast but just maybe not that fast."
The United States and Canada battled it out for bronze, with Chloe Dygert inspiring her team-mates to assure a place on the podium for the USA.
NETHERLANDS PREVAIL BUT KING KENNY CROWNED
World champions the Netherlands stormed to gold past the defending Olympic champions Team GB as they smashed the Olympic record with a time of 41.369 seconds.
The Netherlands last won a gold medal in the men's event in 1936 and the victory also means they join France as the only nation to win gold as reigning world champions in this cycling track event.
Jeffrey Hoogland, who is already a three-time world champion, concurred with team-mate Harrie Lavreysen as he explained his team had achieved the one goal they set before the Games.
"It means a lot. All these years of work and even the extra year process made it extra tough, but I think everybody had the same problem," Hoogland said after the final.
"As Harrie said, we are three times world champion. We are top of the top world riders, and we had each other to keep the level high. Sometimes that was hard but at the end it was all worth it."
Great Britain, who had collected gold at the previous three Games, had to settle for their second silver in just over 20 minutes, with Jason Kenny enjoying a bittersweet moment as he became the first athlete to win eight Olympic medals in track cycling.
Kenny also equalled the total medal haul of Britain's most successful Olympian Sir Bradley Wiggins, though Kenny has one more gold and silver.
France, who have claimed a medal in the men's team sprint in every Games since it was first held in 2000, edged out Australia for bronze.
'Super simple' – Lille president rules out January exit for Jonathan David
Lille president Olivier Letang has categorically ruled out a January exit for forward Jonathan David amid links with a number of European clubs.
David is out of contract at the end of the season and has been touted as a target for the likes of Bayern Munich, Juventus and Barcelona.
Speaking this week, the Canada international named Barcelona as his "dream" club but suggested he would prefer not to leave Lille mid-season.
And in an interview with After Foot RMC, Letang confirmed no bids have yet been tabled ahead of the January window.
"We are not going to sell him in January, and we have not received any offer for him," he said.
"Jonathan's situation is super simple. We are very happy to have him with us.
"Last season he had one more year left on his contract. We were trying to qualify for the Champions League.
"You have a guy who scores 20 to 25 goals a season. We had no obligation to sell him."
David is into his fifth season with Lille and has scored 97 goals in 202 games for the Ligue 1 side in all competitions while assisting a further 18.
Seven of those goals have arrived in 11 appearances this term, including in Champions League games against Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Juventus.
The 24-year-old's best league season with Lille saw him score 24 goals in 2022-23, while he has netted 19, 15 and 13 in the other full campaigns.
Lille chief Letang reiterated that David has been offered a new deal to stay on at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, but selling him has never been an option.
"He is a player who scores between 20 and 25 goals and helps us qualify for the Champions League," he said.
"Plus, Jonathan loves Lille, which is his club. Our position was very clear from the beginning – we think of the athlete.
"Obviously, he already has an offer that is in his hands, the ball is in his court."
McKenna fired up for 'biggest game in world football' against Man United
Kieran McKenna believes Ipswich Town's Premier League clash with Manchester United will be the "biggest game in world football" this weekend.
United are in action under new manager Ruben Amorim for the first time since the Portuguese officially replaced Arne Slot as head coach.
While plenty of focus is on the visitors at Portman Road, Ipswich are fired up after beating Tottenham 2-1 before the international break.
That was Ipswich's first league win of the season – and their first in the Premier League in 22 years – and now attention turns to facing United.
McKenna, who previously coached United, said at a fan event this week: "Sunday, what a game. It's one we're really, really looking forward to.
"Not for the personal connection, but as manager of Ipswich Town, to be on that stage, it's what we've worked so hard for.
"It's the biggest game in world football anywhere this weekend, the biggest game in the world in the biggest sport in the world and it's at Portman Road."
Ipswich's surprise win at Tottenham last time out moved them up to 17th, while United are 13th after beating Leicester City 3-0 in Ruud van Nistelrooy's final game in caretaker charge.
Amorim took his first training session on Monday, albeit with many first-team stars away on international duty, and the former Sporting CP boss believes his style of play will be clear to see from the off.
"I think you will see an idea," he told the club's website. "You could like it or not, I don't know, but you will see an idea.
"You will see a positioning. You will see something that we want to reach that kind of level. You will feel that.
"We have to know it's [only] two trainings before the first match. This is the best league in the world. But if I have to say something to you, [it's that] you will see an idea. This I can guarantee."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Ipswich Town - Liam Delap
Delap scored what proved to be Ipswich's winner against Tottenham and has now netted six of his side's 12 Premier League goals this term.
That makes the Manchester City academy product one of only three players to have scored at least half of his side's goals in the competition this season, along with Erling Haaland at City (55%) and Chris Wood at Nottingham Forest (53%).
Manchester United - Alejandro Garnacho
Garnacho was among the scorers against Leicester two weeks ago and has now been directly involved in 20 Premier League goals for United (13 goals and seven assists).
The Argentina international is one of only two non-British players to reach that figure for United before turning 21, along with Cristiano Ronaldo (25 goals).
MATCH PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED WIN
Ipswich are seeking back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since February 2022, with that run also beginning with a 2-1 victory against Tottenham.
The Tractor Boys are the only side in the competition without a home win this season. Only five newly promoted clubs have failed to win any of their first six home matches, all of whom went back down.
United have won 17 of their past 19 Premier League games against newly promoted opponents, meanwhile, including nine wins in a row in away fixtures.
The Red Devils were 1-0 winners on their most recent league trip to Portman Road in April 2022, but only once have they won successive league games away to Ipswich.
However, the Tractor Boys have lost four of their past five league matches against Man United, failing to score in each of those losses.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Ipswich Town - 22.2%
Draw - 23%
Manchester United - 54.8%
Slot deserves praise for modest approach to Liverpool job – Mills
Arne Slot deserves praise for not being "arrogant" with his approach to succeeding Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool boss, according to Danny Mills.
The Dutchman has made a hugely positive start to life at Anfield since replacing long-serving Klopp ahead of the 2024-25 season.
The 28 points Slot has collected is the joint-most of any manager in their opening 11 Premier League games along with Guus Hiddink at Chelsea.
Liverpool's only blemish on an otherwise perfect start to the top-flight campaign was a 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest in September.
Indeed, only in 2019-20 (31 points) have Liverpool collected more points after 11 games of a Premier League season than their 28 this campaign.
Former Leeds United and Manchester City defender Mills has been particularly impressed by Slot's approach to a new era at Anfield.
"Arne Slot has surprised me," Mills told Stats Perform. "They did have a difficult defeat against Nottingham Forest at home. That was a defeat not many people saw that coming, but the start he's had is unbelievable. It's incredible.
"Training might be slightly different, but the style of play is very similar. The players are comfortable with it. They've been high-energy, closing people down, and playing at 100 miles an hour when they win the ball back.
"It shows managerial intelligence to understand the players' qualities and build on what they had when they were successful. He hasn't overthought it or tinkered too much.
"He hasn’t been arrogant and said, 'I'm going to rip it up and start fresh'. It wasn't broken; it was already successful. He's just added to it."
Liverpool won a first ever Premier League title during Klopp's eight-and-a-half years in charge, as well the Champions League in 2018-19.
Klopp also lifted the FA Cup, two EFL Cups, the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, setting a high benchmark to follow.
"Liverpool identified the man they wanted, brought him in, and he's been very clever," Mills added. "He looked at the squad and thought, 'these are good players. I don't need to change too much'.
"That's smart because Liverpool were very successful under Klopp. If you come in and rip up the playbook and it doesn't work, players will question why they're not doing what worked under Klopp."
Liverpool have conceded just six goals in the Premier League this season – four fewer than next-best Nottingham Forest.
They are conceding at a rate of around 0.5 goals per game, compared to around 1.1 in Klopp's final season in charge (41 goals in 38 matches).
"Slot has tweaked things slightly, maybe made them more defensively solid, which they needed to really challenge," Mills said. "Championship-winning or Champions League-winning teams are built on solid defences.
"You don't win without that. He's shored up the defence and allowed the players to continue doing what they were doing before."
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