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• FC Dallas v Los Angeles FC: 'Last chance' saloon for hosts, insists Luccin

  FC Dallas interim head coach Peter Luccin labelled his side’s upcoming fixture against Western Conference leaders Los Angeles FC as “crucial” if they are to make the playoffs this season.

  The Toros fell to a 3-2 defeat to Real Salt Lake in their last encounter, leaving them 11th in the table and four points behind the playoff line with five games of the season remaining.

  Dallas are winless in their last three MLS games, and Luccin reiterated the message to his players that this weekend could be their final chance at continuing their season.

  “We need to be clear now,” Luccin started. We cannot lie. We have a game on Saturday that could be our last chance, even though we have two games at home.

  “Our last game was important, but this one is crucial for us if we want to try and reach the playoffs.

  “It is just making sure everybody is in good shape. We are playing against a big team on Saturday, and we need to be prepared for that game.”

  LAFC, meanwhile, were held by Dallas’ playoff rivals Austin FC in midweek, allowing a cluster of sides around them to threaten their third-place position.

  Despite dominating for large parts of their encounter last time out, head coach Steve Cherundolo highlighted his side’s rushed approach to proceedings.

  While the LAFC head coach acknowledged the fatigue setting in at this stage of the season, he said that some of the mistakes his players were making could cost them in the future.

  “I thought with the ball we could have created more in the first half but were too rushed and impatient,” Cherundolo said.

  “Our choice-making of passes was often times too risky, with not enough reward.”

  “We’ve seen that before in recent weeks and that’s impossible to win games in a fatigued state at this stage of the season if you’re making errors like that.”

  PLAYERS TO WATCH

  FC Dallas – Jesus Ferreira 

  Ferreira scored his fourth regular-season direct free-kick goal for FC Dallas on Wednesday. Since 2010, the only Americans with more direct free-kick goals in regular season MLS play are Jeff Larentowicz and Chris Tierney (five each).

  LAFC – Ryan Hollingshead

  Hollingshead recorded his fourth assist of the season on Wednesday. With Hollingshead also having a goal in 2024, this is the sixth straight regular season the defender has contributed to at least five goals dating back to 2019.

  MATCH PREDICTION: LAFC WIN

  LAFC have lost two of its last 12 away matches in all competitions, including a 4-2 defeat to the Galaxy on Saturday (W8 D2). LAFC conceded seven times in the two losses over that span but allowed just four goals in the other 10 matches.

  Dallas has suffered back-to-back home defeats in all competitions after losing just one of its previous 11 at home (W8 D2). Dallas have not lost three straight home matches in all competitions since September 2011.

  However, recent fixture suggest Dallas hold the advantage. The home side has lost only one of the 11 all-time meetings between the two sides, a 3-2 LAFC win at Toyota Stadium in 2021. The home team has won each of the five meetings between Dallas and LAFC since.

  OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

  FC Dallas – 28%

  Draw – 24.2%

  LAFC – 47.8%

• No love lost for Conte ahead of 'emotional' Juventus reunion

  Antonio Conte is relishing Napoli's upcoming clash that will see him return to Juventus, a club he both played for and managed. 

  Conte has started his career in Naples in fine form, leading Napoli to three wins from their first four league games and to second in the Serie A standings. 

  But this weekend sees him return to the club he made 419 appearances for as a player, winning 12 titles, which included the Champions League in 1995-96. 

  Having started his managerial journey at Arezzo in 2006, the Italian returned to Juventus in 2011, replacing Luigi Delneri as their new head coach. 

  Conte led Juventus to three consecutive Scudetto titles, winning 90 of his 133 games in charge (D30 L13) before becoming the Italy national team head coach. 

  The last time the 55-year-old travelled to Turin as the opposing team's manager was in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, with his Inter side losing 3-2 having already won the title. 

  "My past is clear, 13 years at Juve as a player, I was captain for several years, winning practically everything," Conte said.  

  "I had the opportunity to coach for three years, starting a series of nine Scudetti.

  "I am part of Juve's history because of what I've done and given them. It's easier to stay at one club your entire career.

  "But as a coach it's impossible to decide your own career. I coached Juve for three years, my career took me to different places.

  "Today I have the true pleasure of coaching a team like Napoli. For me, being someone from the south, it is a proud and satisfying feeling.

  "There will be lots of emotions returning to that stadium, because last time I returned during COVID."

  Conte comes up against a man he knows well in Juventus head coach Thiago Motta, having managed him during his time with the Italian national team. 

  Motta has collected eight points from his four games in charge of his new club after leading Bologna to Champions League qualification last term. 

  The 42-year-old marked his first game as a head coach in the Champions League with a comfortable 3-1 win over PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday. 

  Conte wished Motta well for the season, but not at the expense of his Napoli side. 

  "Thiago Motta takes on a heavy legacy... It's not a trivial thing to coach there, there is a demand for victory, like at Milan or Inter," Conte said.

  "He was a player of mine with the national team at the European Championships. He makes me smile, but it also saddens me a bit because I'm getting old.

  "He did very well in Bologna and so I wish him the best from a human point of view, but not in the games against us." 

• Women's Champions League roundup: Real Madrid snatch first leg lead

  A late goal from Melanie Leupolz gave Real Madrid a 2-1 first-leg aggregate advantage over Sporting CP in their Champions League qualifier.

  The away side took the lead after just 11 minutes as Athenea del Castillo capitalised on a poor mistake from Sporting keeper Hannah Seabert and slotted the ball into an empty net.

  Despite Madrid's dominance, they were pegged back on the stroke of half-time after a foul by keeper Misa Rodriguez in the box, with Andreia Bravo making no mistake from the spot.

  Madrid continued to dominate in the second half, with Alba Redondo going close, but it looked as if Sporting would hang for a draw to take to Madrid next week.

  But that was before Leupolz headed the ball into the net in injury-time after Olga Carmona's cross could only be parried out.

  Meanwhile, Galatasaray squandered a two-goal advantage to draw their home-leg encounter with Slavia Prague.

  A second-half brace from Andrea Staskova looked to have given the Turkish side a healthy lead to take to the Czech Republic, but Slavia Prague responded late on, with Benan Altintas scoring an own goal 15 minutes from time, before Kristina Kosikova's 98th minute equaliser.

  St Polten, meanwhile, hold a healthy first leg lead after defeating Musa 3-0 at home.

  The first half produced no goals, but the Austrian side showed their class in the second half, with Kamila Dubcova, Melike Pekel and Izabela Krizaj all getting on the scoresheet.