Dusan Vlahovic believes Juventus' 2-0 Champions League win over Manchester City can mark "a new beginning" for the Serie A giants.
Vlahovic headed in the opener early in the second half before Weston McKennie's volley sealed a memorable victory for the Bianconeri, who inflicted a seventh loss in the space of 10 games in all competitions on Man City.
Juve are now unbeaten in six straight meetings with City (four wins, two draws), with this the Citizens' longest winless run against a European opponent.
Thiago Motta's side – who are unbeaten in Serie A but have drawn nine of 15 league games – are now up to 14th in the Champions League table, with City down in 22nd.
Motta's side attracted renewed criticism following their 2-2 draw with Bologna on Saturday, but Vlahovic hopes Wednesday's win can help them build some momentum.
"The whole team put in an outstanding performance. We prepared for the match in detail and put our plan into action perfectly," Vlahovic said after the game.
"It's a great result and gives us a big boost for the future. I had a bit of luck for my goal, but what counts is that the ball went in. I want to continue like this.
"We talked among ourselves after the Bologna game and decided that we cannot afford to wait for a slap in the face to react.
"The challenge against City was always going to be tough, but we have to approach the other games with the same intensity.
"We are a young team, and we lack some experience, but here at Juventus there is no time to lose. Hopefully this match will mark a new beginning."
City more than doubled Juventus' tallies for touches in the box (34 to 13) and final-third entries (59 to 24), but they only narrowly edged the expected goals (xG) battle by 1.26 to 1.13, with 0.57 of their total coming from two Erling Haaland chances.
Haaland has had more big chances (12) than any other player in the Champions League this season but has only converted four of those (33%).
Juve midfielder Manuel Locatelli hailed his team-mates for the way they handled the City striker, saying: "Haaland is an extraordinary striker, one lapse in concentration and he punishes you.
"The whole team defended perfectly. We achieved a great victory, an impressive feat against a very strong team, led by the best coach in the world.
"This is a victory from the heart, we played with a real fire inside us. In the league we dropped points through avoidable mistakes, but we deserved a night like this. Now we must continue with this team spirit, always sacrificing for the result."
Astana 1-3 Chelsea: Maresca's men secure qualification in freezing temperatures
Chelsea confirmed their spot in the last 16 of the Conference League by beating Astana 3-1 in bitterly cold conditions.
A temperature of -10 degrees was recorded in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where the match was hosted, but it did not bother the Blues.
Marc Guiu got the visitors off to a good start, dribbling inside from the right and firing into the net after 14 minutes.
Enzo Maresca's side doubled their lead via an Aleksandr Marochkin own goal four minutes later, before Renato Veiga's header made it three.
Marin Tomasov pulled one back for Astana just before the break, but it was never likely to be enough.
The Blues cruised through the second half with a serenity that summed up their progress in the competition so far, with Maresca able to hand opportunities to several youngsters.
T&T welcome Jamaica, SVG and Dominica for U-20 Women's Invitational football tourney
Trinidad and Tobago is set to welcome regional rivals Dominica, Jamaica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) for the third edition of the Jewels of the Caribbean Invitational Women’s Football tournament as they intensify their respective preparations for next year’s Concacaf Under-20 qualifiers.
The tournament, scheduled for December 15-20, provides a platform for some of the Caribbean’s most promising under-20 female footballers to display their talents ahead of their 2025 campaigns.
As host, the Twin Island Republic will participate with two teams, the Red Angels and the White Angels, coached by former senior internationals Ayanna Russell and Dernelle Mascall, respectively.
Details of the event were revealed by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) on Wednesday.
“The Jewels of the Caribbean Tournament is fast becoming a staple on the Caribbean football calendar, offering valuable competitive opportunities for women’s teams outside of Concacaf and Caribbean Football Union-organized events.
“This year’s event is made possible through the backing of the NGO Female Forward, which played a key role in securing First Citizens Bank as the tournament's title sponsor. Additionally, FIFA has stepped in to assist participating associations by covering expenses such as accommodation, meals, and internal transport,” a release said.
The action kicks off on December 15 with a double-header at the Larry Gomes Stadium. Jamaica and SVG will face off at 2:00pm, before the Red Angels and Dominica lock horns at 4:00pm.
On Monday, the White Angels will open their account against SVG at 7:00pm at the Ato Boldon Stadium. The tournament will conclude with the final and the third-place playoff, both to be held at the Ato Boldon Stadium.
TTFA president Kieron Edwards emphasized the broader significance of the tournament.
“This tournament is a tremendous step forward for women’s football in our region...it underscores the TTFA’s commitment to elevating women’s football and providing opportunities for growth and development,” Edwards noted.
The tournament marks the start of a busy period for Trinidad Tobago as their Under-20 team is grouped with Bermuda, Canada, and Dominica for the women’s qualifiers, scheduled for February 20-25.
Meanwhile, the Under-17 women will compete against Belize, Honduras, and the US Virgin Islands in their qualifying group from January 27-February 1.
Mbappe a doubt for Intercontinental Cup final with thigh injury
Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has been diagnosed with an injury to his left thigh, making him a doubt for next week's FIFA Intercontinental Cup final.
Mbappe was replaced during the first half of Madrid's 3-2 win at Atalanta in the Champions League on Tuesday, having given his side the lead with a 10th-minute goal.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said afterwards that Mbappe had suffered ischial (lower pelvis) discomfort, adding that he did not believe it to be a serious injury but Los Blancos would need to wait for the player to be examined.
The club have since announced: "Following tests carried out on Kylian Mbappe today by the Real Madrid medical department, the player has been diagnosed with a thigh injury in his left leg. His progress will be monitored."
Mbappe, who also scored in last weekend's 3-0 win over Girona but has endured an inconsistent start to life at Madrid, looks set to miss Saturday's LaLiga game at Rayo Vallecano, and now faces a race to be fit for the Intercontinental Cup final in Qatar.
Madrid will face the winner of Saturday's tie between Pachuca and Al Ahly on December 18.
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