Luis Enrique revealed that there is no additional pressure on the shoulders of Paris Saint-Germain's Bradley Barcola, who has enjoyed a fine start to the Ligue 1 season.

Barcola took his tally to eight goals in nine league appearances in PSG's 3-0 triumph over rivals Marseille last weekend. 

The France international has now scored nine goals in his last 10 Ligue 1 games, more than in his first 64 (eight).

Barcola, top scorer in the division this term, is also one goal away from equalling his tally over his previous three seasons in the top-flight (nine goals in 65 games). 

"I don't know and I'm not worried," Luis Enrique told reporters when asked how far Barcola can go. "But when he doesn't score, others will, that's how teams work.

"There's no extra responsibility, everyone has to protect everyone, there can't be one player under more pressure."

Barcola has also completed more dribbles (18) than any of his PSG team-mates, subsequently seeing fellow forward Randal Kolo Muani drop to the bench. 

Kolo Muani joined the Parisiens from Einthract Frankfurt last year and has scored 11 goals and added six assists in 50 appearances in all competitions. 

However, the 25-year-old has started just two games for Luis Enrique's side this term, with recent reports linking him with a move away from the Ligue 1 champions. 

"I trust what I see in matches and in training. With a coach like me, a player who isn't playing can turn his situation around by the way he trains," Luis Enrique said.

PSG welcome Lens to the Parc des Princes this Saturday, hoping to maintain their three point advantage at the summit of the standings. 

They have won their last three games against Lens in Ligue 1 and could equal their best run against them in the top-flight (four in 1983-1984, 1993-1994 and 1996-1997).

Former Soca Warriors and Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke has been appointed Head Coach of Trinidad and Tobago's senior men's team.

According to Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president Kieron Edwards, Yorke's appointment marks a new chapter for football in the Twin Island Republic, as his primary focus will be on upcoming World Cup qualification efforts.

“With World Cup qualification in our sights, we’re thrilled to welcome Dwight Yorke as the new head coach of our men’s national team,” Edwards said in making the announcement on Friday.

“Dwight’s experience, leadership, and commitment to the red, white, and black are exactly what we need to inspire our players and our nation," he added.

Yorke expressed delight at the opportunity.

“I am proud and privileged to receive the honour of leading the Trinidad and Tobago national team. The opportunity to work with this talented, close-knit group of players is something I look forward to. Having helped Trinidad and Tobago to the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2000, captained the side at the 2006 World Cup, and been assistant manager, my love and commitment to my national team are well documented,” Yorke declared.

“I saw firsthand as a player how working together to achieve our targets brought joy and united our country. I see that same ambition and desire at all levels of the current set-up. So I look forward to building on the work of someone who I played alongside with for a number of years from youth level right up to senior team, a good friend and former teammate, Angus Eve, and the current interim head coach, Derek King. As a player, I experienced some incredible moments in a Trinidad and Tobago shirt. With this squad, I hope they can continue as head coach,” he shared.

Yorke, one of the nation’s most celebrated football figures, brings his extensive international experience as both a player and leader in the sport to his new role. Known for his tactical insight, passion, and dedication, Yorke’s appointment aligns with the TTFA’s mission to elevate T&T football to new heights.

“Dwight’s journey from a standout player to a seasoned leader in football brings a unique vision that aligns with our ambitions. We are confident he will guide us forward with purpose and pride as we work to make Trinidad and Tobago’s presence felt on the world stage once again," Edwards noted.

Yorke’s tenure as head coach begins immediately, with plans to energize the team’s training and development in preparation for the rigors of international competition. As the TTFA continues its commitment to advancing football standards in Trinidad and Tobago, Yorke’s leadership is anticipated to bring new energy and dedication to the national team.

He was captain of the Trinidad and Tobago 2006 World Cup squad during an illustrious playing career that saw him enjoy playing spells at Manchester United, Aston Villa, Birmingham City, Sunderland, Blackburn Rovers, and Sydney FC.

Yorke also served as head coach of Australian Premier Club Macarthur FC most recently and assistant coach at Sunderland for a brief period in 2008/2009. He also served as assistant coach of T&T in 2009.

On 25 May 2022, Yorke managed the Australian A-League All Stars in their 3–2 loss to a star-studded Barcelona.

Juventus must improve all aspects of their performances if they are to challenge in Serie A this season, so says Thiago Motta.

Despite remaining unbeaten in the league, just two wins in their last eight games has left Juve in sixth place with 18 points, seven behind leaders Napoli.

On Saturday, Motta's side visit Udinese, who are seventh on 16 points, having suffered four losses in their last six matches.

Juve finished third last term, 23 points behind runaway champions Inter, and the season before they were seventh.

And asked about the growing gap between Juve and their title rivals, Motta said: "No club has won the Scudetto in November. We think about Udinese and we want to improve in all aspects, we must all do more, including myself.

"We have to do much better to stay high up in the standings, we are still at the beginning and it's clear that we have to do much better given the results.

"But if a team deserved more it was ours, I am not the only one saying this, you can see it in the data."

The data does not exactly support Motta's claims, however, given Juve have actually outperformed their expected goals, scoring 17 times from 15.2 xG, which is the seventh-highest total in Serie A.

Juve have been excellent defensively, conceding seven goals from 7.6 xG against, which is the lowest total in the league.

However, the Bianconeri have conceded six goals in their last two league matches, after a 2-2 stalemate with Parma and a thrilling 4-4 draw at Inter, but Motta said the issue lies not in defence alone but his side's overall coordination and decision-making.

"We must improve collectively, be united and help each other more. We must be aggressive and leave less space between the lines," he added.

"We must make the best decisions as a team. We can’t let the opponents feel comfortable on the pitch."

Juve have drawn 16 of their 30 league games in 2024 (W10 L4), a record in the top five European Leagues; only once have the Bianconeri recorded more draws in a single calendar year in their Serie A history (17 in 1956).

Champions-elect of the 2024 Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL), St. Benedict’s College, will have the chance to complete an undefeated season when they take on St. Mary’s College at Serpentine Road on Friday.

St. Benedict’s, last season’s runners-up, confirmed themselves as champions on Tuesday thanks to an 8-0 spanking of Miracle Ministries Pentecostal High on the back of five goals from captain Derrel Garcia who took his tally this season to 16 goals.

The win gave them a six-point lead over 2023 champions Fatima College with both teams having one game left. Fatima will face Malick Secondary on Friday.

Presentation College are level on points with Fatima heading into their Friday tussle with sixth-placed Naparima College.

Fourth-placed St. Anthony’s College will take on ninth-placed San Juan North while fifth-placed Arima North will face 14^th-placed Speyside High.

Other Friday fixtures include Miracle Ministries vs Trinity College, Signal Hill vs East Mucurapo and St. Augustine Secondary vs Queen’s Royal College.

Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy's main message to players and fans ahead of Game 2 against the New York Red Bulls in the MLS playoffs was not to panic.

The Crew, the MLS Cup holders, lost 1-0 in Game 1 at Lower.com Field, having beaten the Red Bulls 3-2 on the road on Decision Day little over a week beforehand to finish five places above them in the Eastern Conference.

They also had plenty of chances to get level in their playoff opener, but were kept out by great goalkeeping.

“They did what is Red Bulls style,” Nancy told the Crew's official website.

“I think that we had many, many chances so we should score at least one goal. I don't forget that they had the run in behind that was clear, and maybe they could score, but I think that we can score a minimum of one goal.

“Listen, we attacked the box, they defended well. I think that in terms of finishing we could have been better at certain moments, but we're going to address certain things.”

The result on Tuesday means that Game 2 at Red Bull Arena is now a playoff eliminator for the Crew, but the coach was not going to make major changes to their approach.

“It doesn't change,” said Nancy.

“The message that I have is to stay calm. Stay calm because again, the game was the game that we wanted to do, except the finishing and also the goal that we conceded.”

Red Bulls head coach Sandro Schwarz was not getting carried away with the result either, despite leading 1-0 in the series and hosting Game 2.

“This is one step and we have to continue this and prepare very seriously for Sunday, the next game in our stadium,” he told a press conference.

The Red Bulls' victory at Lower.com Field constituted the first big shock of the playoffs and they have an opportunity to create another, knowing victory would knock Columbus out.

But the magnitude of the task at hand was not lost on Schwarz.

“What I can say is we need everyone in our stadium, everyone in our stadium to support the whole team, because it's a big opportunity,” he said.

“It's a big game on Sunday. We must prepare these days now, for a good recovery, good video meeting, and good video session.

“What we must adapt in some moments and then on Sunday is kick-off. We need everyone in the stadium to create this atmosphere, the special atmosphere, which you need against Columbus.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New York Red Bulls - Lewis Morgan

Morgan leads the goalscoring charts for the New York Red Bulls with 13 goals in MLS this season.

Six of those goals have been the first of the match and another opener in this fixture could be the beginning of the end for their opponents' playoff ambitions.

Columbus Crew - Cucho Hernandez

Hernandez finished the regular season as the Crew's top scorer with 19 goals in MLS, one behind Lionel Messi and four back from top scorer Christian Benteke.

He rounded off with six goals in his final six matches, while he had six shots on goal against the Red Bulls in Game 1.

MATCH PREDICTION: COLUMBUS CREW

The Crew's three-match winning streak was snapped last time out, but they were MLS Cup champions in 2023 and finished second to Inter Miami in the Eastern Conference this season.

Their defeat in Game 1 was just their seventh loss in 48 matches in all competitions in 2024. Columbus have not lost back-to-back matches since May 2023, while their last away defeat came in July.

The Red Bulls are winless in seven straight home games (D4 L3), which is their longest such run at home since 2004-05.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

New York Red Bulls - 26.2%

Draw - 23.5%

Columbus Crew - 50.3%

Dominican Republic’s Cibao FC will take their unbeaten record into the Concacaf Caribbean Cup final after they edged Haitian counterparts Real Hope FA 1-0 in their second-leg semifinal tie in Santiago de los Caballeros on Thursday.

Rivaldo Correa got the all-important strike in the 10th minute as Cibao, who entered the contest with a 3-2 first-leg lead, topped the series 4-2 on aggregate to book a date with Jamaican outfit Cavalier FC in the final. They also secured a spot in next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup.

Correa’s early strike from deep inside the 18-yard box applied more pressure on Real Hope, who now needed to score at least two goals to stand a chance of turning the tables.

The Haitian club went close in the 14th minute through Clifford Louis Jean’s long range effort that was equally well-saved by Miguel Lloyd in goal for Cibao.

Lloyd cut off another promising attack from Real Hope in the 29th as he denied Angelo Exilus from a Jeudy Jhonson cross.

Cibao FC’s next best chance of the contest came in the 49th but Ernesto Trinidad failed to beat Real Hope’s custodian Gooly Elien from close range.

From there, it was all Real Hope as they desperately sought to claw their way back into the contest and had two great opportunities to do so, but Exilus dragged an 80th-minute effort wide of the left upright, while Lloyd again came up big to thwart the other in time added.

Real Hope FA will now hope to bounce back in the third-place playoff, where they will cross swords with another Dominican Republic outfit, Moca FC, to decide the final Caribbean representative that will grace the Champions Cup.

Rene Meulensteen sees similarities between Ruben Amorim and Erik ten Hag, so does not want to get carried away about the incoming Manchester United head coach.

United confirmed on Friday, four days after they sacked Ten Hag, that Amorim would be coming in as their new boss.

The 39-year-old, who has won the Portuguese title twice in the space of three years, will join United officially from November 11, after serving a notice period with Sporting CP.

United have agreed to pay Sporting around £9.2million (€11m) in compensation, with Amorin signing a contract that will keep him at Old Trafford until June 2027.

However, former United coach Meulensteen is able to draw plenty of comparisons between Amorim and his predecessor, and that is giving him cause for concern.

He told Stats Perform: "I have a little bit of a careful approach.

"I see a lot of similarities when United got excited about Ten Hag. Ajax played a good style of football, nice to watch, did really well, won the league, did really well in Europe.

"You see the same thing with Amorim. A young manager, not that much experience. He obviously has got a clear idea how he wants to play and he's been able to make Sporting a successful team, winning two league titles, and he does well in Europe. 

"But Portugal and the Dutch league are very similar. In [the Netherlands] you've got Ajax, PSV, Feyenoord, in Portugal you've got Sporting, Benfica and Porto. That is about it and against the rest of those teams, you can just turn up and win the game.

"You can have the best ideas and what you want and tactically and all this, but the other number one [thing] is walking into a different competition, which is the Premier League, which is the hardest league in the world.

"He walks into a team that is not his. He walks into a team without pre-season, right? So every game straight away is playing for something, whether it's the league, the cup or in Europe. So he has to hit the ground running.

"He has a very specific way of playing. So he needs to look at the current squad that's in there and say, which players will I be able to use to play that way? But then again the Premier League is not Portugal, and the only way to establish himself is to win games and play well."

Amorim will be United's youngest boss since 33-year-old Wilf McGuinness took charge of them on Boxing Day 1970 against Derby County.

Since March 2020, when Amorim took charge, Sporting have the highest win percentage of any team across Europe’s top 10 leagues (77% - 120 wins out of 156 games).

He was of interest to Liverpool and West Ham earlier this year, but Meulensteen still warned against expecting too much, too soon.

"United will probably think they need somebody with, first of all, a strong personality," he continued.

"I think that is important. From what I hear and read about him, he has a strong personality, but that personality will only be tested in difficult times. But that is where you have to give him the benefit of the doubt. 

"But I think it's the same reasons why United went for Ten Hag, because the stats are all weighing up. The stats are good. Plus, obviously, they've spoken to him.

"I'm a little bit more sceptical and careful. because at the end of the day, the proof will be in the pudding. 

"Now he comes into a team that's not his. And that takes time. That it's not like something that you can switch on straight away.

"Every manager needs to be given 18 months before he gets to a place where he feels it's his team.

"Sometimes, depending on the players that are there, the support that you get, it can go a bit quicker, but we have to wait and see."

United are 14th in the Premier League after nine games, and face Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Ruud van Nistelrooy will be in charge for their next three matches, with Amorim's first game at the helm coming against Ipswich Town after the international break.

Manchester United have confirmed the appointment of Ruben Amorim as the club's new head coach.

Amorim has signed a deal that will keep him at Old Trafford until the end of the 2026-27 season, after the Red Devils agreed to pay the reported £8.3million release clause from his contract at Sporting CP.

He guided Sporting to two Primeira Liga titles during his time in charge and succeeds Erik ten Hag after the Dutchman was sacked following a defeat at West Ham on Sunday, which left United 14th in the Premier League.

The 39-year-old becomes the second Portuguese to manage the club after Jose Mourinho, who was in charge between May 2016 and December 2018.

Amorim has a notice period to serve at Sporting, meaning he will not take charge of United until November 11.

His first match in charge will therefore come after the international break, against Ipswich Town at Portman Road.

Ruud van Nistelrooy will oversee United's next three games, against Chelsea, PAOK and Leicester City.

Since he was appointed in early 2020, Amorim has taken charge of 156 Primeira Liga games at Sporting, the most of any coach in the club's history (according to Opta's records).

Meanwhile, his 120 victories in the league give him a 76.92% win ratio, which is the best of any Sporting coach on record.

In 2021, Amorim guided Sporting to their first league title in 19 years, and he won the Primeira Liga again in 2023-24.

On Thursday, Amorim promised he would comment further on the matter after Sporting's match against Estrela da Amadora on Friday.

Erik ten Hag seemed doomed at Manchester United and the period after winning the FA Cup became, as expected, a stay of execution.

United sacked the Dutchman on Monday, placing his compatriot - and club great - Ruud van Nistelrooy in temporary charge.

They have moved swiftly to try and appoint a permanent successor, though, with Ruben Amorim of Sporting CP the target.

Amorim has promised to provide clarity over his future after Sporting's league game on Friday, but it does seem certain that Van Nistelrooy – who oversaw a 5-2 win over Leicester City in the EFL Cup on Wednesday – will be in charge for the visit of in-form Chelsea on Sunday.

United's two Premier League matches at Old Trafford against other Big Six sides this season did not go well for Ten Hag, with the Red Devils beaten 3-0 by both Liverpool and Tottenham.

But will it be different now he has gone?

What's expected?

United are unbeaten in their last 11 home league games against Chelsea (W5 D6) and are looking to win three in a row against the Blues at Old Trafford for the first time since January 1957.

But United have picked up just 11 points after nine Premier League matches this season (W3 D2 L4), which is their second-fewest ever total at this stage – only in 2019-20 did they have fewer points at this point (10). 

They have only lost four of their opening nine Premier League games on two occasions, with both coming in the last two seasons under Ten Hag.

These sides last met in April, with Chelsea coming from behind to win a thriller 4-3 at Stamford Bridge. The Blues last won consecutive league meetings with the Red Devils in March 2011 (a run of three).

United vs Chelsea is the most drawn fixture in Premier League history, with 26 of the previous 64 meetings between the sides finishing level and the Opta supercomputer is forecasting a close encounter this time.

In 37.8% of the model's simulations, United came out on top. Chelsea were the winners in 37.3%, with the probability of a draw coming in at 24.9%.

A new era

Ten Hag lost 32% of his Premier League games in charge of United (27/85), the joint-highest percentage along with David Moyes (11/34).

Seven of his 27 defeats, meanwhile, came via stoppage-time winners, the highest percentage (26%) of any manager to lose 20+ games in Premier League history.

While Amorim looks likely to come in soon, this is a chance for Van Nistelrooy to get a much-needed feel-good factor back at Old Trafford. United are down in 14th, so they could do with a win.

Their five-goal haul in midweek was a timely boost, given that finishing chances has been such a big issue.

Only Southampton and Crystal Palace (six each) have scored fewer Premier League goals this season than United (eight).

United have underperformed their expected goals by 6.8 (xG of 14.8), the worst differential of any side in 2024-25. Since 2022-23, only Everton (-26) have underperformed their xG by more than United (-17-9 – 123 goals from an xG of 140.9).

All the young Blues

Scoring goals has not been an issue for Chelsea under Enzo Maresca.

The Blues have scored 19 goals in the league this term, which is a tally bettered only by league leaders Manchester City. Chelsea have also accumulated the third-highest xG in the league (17.3), behind Tottenham (17.7) and City (18.5).

But in their last away game in the league, Chelsea struggled to click into gear in attack and lost 2-1 to Liverpool.

Arne Slot's team are a step above United in terms of quality, but Maresca will want his side to take the game to their opponents at Old Trafford.

Maresca has gone with youth this season, so a fearless approach that has mostly been present in the league is perhaps no surprise.

Chelsea have named the youngest average starting XI in the Premier League this season (23 years, 206 days). In their 2-1 win over Newcastle, they became just the second team in Premier League history to not name a single outfield player aged 25+ in their starting XI for a match, after Aston Villa who did so in two games in 2013.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Man Utd - Bruno Fernandes

Against Leicester, Fernandes recorded his 150th and 151st goal involvements for Manchester United, becoming the seventh player overall to do so in Europe’s big five leagues in all competitions since his debut and first midfielder to do so.

Chelsea - Cole Palmer

Palmer has been directly involved in 33 Premier League goals for Chelsea in 2024 (21 goals, 12 assists). Only two players have had more goals and assists in a year for the Blues: Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in 2001 (25 goals, 11 assists) and Didier Drogba in 2010 (22 goals, 13 assists).

He scored in both of Chelsea’s Premier League games against United last season, including a hat-trick in a 4-3 win at Stamford Bridge. The only Chelsea players to score in three consecutive Premier League games against them are Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (2000-2001) and Juan Mata (2012-2013).

Diego Simeone was in good spirits following Atletico Madrid's first-round victory in the Copa del Rey, despite them having taken 81 minutes to find the net against sixth-tier opposition.

Julian Alvarez opened the scoring with a penalty against UE Vic, before a late second wrapped up a 2-0 victory against stubborn opposition.

Alvarez became the second LaLiga player to have scored in three different competitions this season, after Kylian Mbappe.

But Simeone was more concerned with giving praise to the opposition team rather than finding faults with his own after the match, having named a strong side.

"For us it was not a surprise, we had seen some of the opponent’s games," he said, as quoted in AS.

"I loved how they played with passion, commitment, with intensity every ball and the search to respond to our tactics.

"I'm happy for the opponent because they demanded of us, they made us generate situations that, for the moment we are going through, the goal was going to cost as much as it did.

"In the first [half] we had chances and we couldn’t score, then the penalty came and Julian's goal that secured the win."

Atleti finished with 2.65 expected goals (xG), with 13 of their 16 shots coming from inside the box.

While Simeone was pleased to progress to the next round, he will undoubtedly be expecting an improvement when Atletico host Las Palmas in LaLiga on Sunday.

Roma’s embattled manager Ivan Juric found a small reprieve as his side scraped past Torino 1-0 for their first win in four Serie A matches.

Paulo Dybala scored the winning goal in the 20th minute, pouncing on a poor backpass from Karol Linetty and rounding Torino goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic before applying the finish.

The result meant that Roma climbed up to 10th place, with 13 points from 10 matches and relieved some pressure off Juric, who is under the microscope only a month and a half into his tenure in Rome. 

Torino, meanwhile, are now only one point ahead of the Giallorossi after their fourth defeat from five outings. 

Elsewhere in Italy, fifth-placed Lazio posted a commanding 5-1 win over 15th-placed Como in a game that saw both sides finish with 10 men. 

LaLiga and its clubs will help raise funds for the Red Cross to support those affected by the flash floods which have killed at least 158 people in Spain.

The league aim to raise the money by publicising a campaign during match broadcasts this weekend and through their social media accounts.

After the Spanish FA postponed seven midweek Cup ties and all games scheduled for Valencia's eastern region this weekend, it asked competition organisers to observe a minute's silence before matches that will be played as a tribute to the victims.

"Spain's professional football joins the condolences and expresses its solidarity with the families of the victims and the missing," LaLiga said in a statement on Thursday.

Real Madrid announced they would also collaborate with the Red Cross and donate one million euros ($1.09 million).

"The Real Madrid Foundation and the Red Cross have today launched a fundraising campaign to support those affected by the storm and the club have decided to support this campaign with a donation of one million euros to help the many families who are in a critical situation and need all our help and solidarity," the Spanish champions said in a statement.

Six postponed Copa del Rey games have been rescheduled for next week, leaving Real Sociedad's match against Jove Espanyol in Alicante as the only tie without a new fixture date.

LaLiga asked the 10 affected clubs in the top two divisions to submit a proposal for new dates before next Tuesday.

Saturday's LaLiga match between Valencia and visitors Real Madrid plus Villarreal's clash with Rayo Vallecano are among the games postponed, as Valencia made the Mestalla stadium available as a drop-off point for donations of food and essential items.

Greg Vanney will hope for a repeat of LA Galaxy's five-star victory in game one that represented “one of their best" performances to wrap up his MLS playoff clash with Colorado Rapids in two games.

Vanney’s tactical masterplan saw Galaxy triumph 5-0 at home as they restricted Colorado to just one shot and an expected goals (xG) total of 0.03 while accumulating 2.46 xG themselves.

The LA Galaxy boss made his name at Toronto FC, where he won the MLS Cup as well as three Eastern Conference playoff titles. When he resigned in 2020, it was Colorado’s Chris Armas who took up the mantle but did not fare as well.

Early indications of their meeting in the playoffs suggest Vanney is proving his knack for success remains and is winning the battle of the ex-Toronto bosses.

“I thought it was a very clean performance, and probably one of the best. I can't remember all 34 at this point, 35 now, but it was definitely one of the best ones, I think, and at a good time,” Vanney reflected on the performance post-match.

LA Galaxy had emerged victorious in both prior meetings this season, but neither time had they managed to keep a clean sheet. Yet in game one, Armas’ side struggled to even penetrate their box with just 10 touches inside it all game.

“[Vanney] has been great, and he has a lot of experience. This week was everything. In the playoffs, we need to set the tone and set the intensity. He did that right from, not just this week, but of course [because of] playoffs, training was intense,” said goalscorer John Nelson.

“Defensively, we needed to do that, and that's what he talked about the whole week. Like you saw tonight, we were relentless. We were fouling. We weren't giving them anything.

“So the whole week’s focus was to counter-press defensively, and we know we're going to score goals. We showed that tonight.”

Armas will need to find a way to beat his Toronto predecessor in a must-win game for his side at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, owing to the best-of-three playoff format.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Colorado Rapids – Djordje Mihailovic

If the Rapids are to take the match back to LA Galaxy for a decider, they will need goals and Mihailovic will be crucial. He boasts the second-most goals scored for Colorado (11) in the MLS, only four behind top scorer Rafael Navarro.

He is also their top assister (10), meaning he has the most goal contributions on the squad (21). Distribution is clearly a strong point as he has more than double the number of key passes (87) than any other Rapids player – Cole Bassett comes closest on 35.

LA Galaxy - Dejan Joveljic

Galaxy's top scorer, Joveljic, has 17 goals in the MLS so far this season and has also delivered the lowest minutes per goal (118.6). He will surely hope to add to the tally when he travels to Colorado.

He was on target in game one as he and Riqui Puig each scored twice in Galaxy’s win over Colorado.

It makes them the third pair of Galaxy teammates to each score twice in a playoff game, along with Cobi Jones and Carlos Ruiz in 2002 and Carlos Hermosillo and Danny Pena in 1998.

MATCH PREDICTION – LA GALAXY WIN

Galaxy have won each of their three meetings with Colorado this season, including the 5-0 win in Game One on Saturday.

Prior to that, Galaxy had won only one of their 11 matches against the Rapids between 2018 and 2023 (D3 L7).

That 5-0 win was only the seventh win by a margin of at least five goals in MLS Cup playoff history. It was the third of those by Galaxy, who also beat Dallas, 6-1, in 1998 and defeated Real Salt Lake, 5-0, in 2014.

Colorado were held to just one shot in their 5-0 loss to Galaxy. It was the first time this century that the Rapids had only one shot in an MLS match, regular season or playoffs.

The hosts are a team out of form and have lost five straight matches dating back to the regular season, with two of those defeats coming against Galaxy.

Prior to this drought, however, the Rapids had lost just three of their previous 13 regular-season matches dating back to the middle of June (W9 D1).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Colorado Rapids – 32.5%

Draw – 25.5%

LA Galaxy – 42.0%

Charlotte FC head into the “most important game in their history” with a chip on their shoulder, according to Dean Smith.

The Crown were defeated 2-0 away at Orlando City in game one of the playoffs and need a win in their first-ever home playoff match to keep their hopes of progress alive.

Smith was aggrieved after designated player (DP) Pep Biel was given his marching orders after 91 minutes for violent conduct and Charlotte’s appeal was rejected, leaving their forward suspended for the home encounter.

It is a situation that Smith hopes will galvanise his team and the home crowd alike, to get them over the line and set up a final decider back in Orlando.

“We’re excited for it, we’re looking forward to it. We feel aggrieved and I think the injustice that we as a team feel will make the club grow stronger,” he said.

“[Biel’s suspension] is a problem for our club because this is the biggest game in our history. We’re at home in front of our fans for a playoff game for the first time and we’ll be missing a DP.

“But we’ve done enough for me to know that we can hurt them, especially at home with our fans behind us.”

It is seemingly a consensus across the team that home advantage can provide the key to success against Orlando.

“It’s frustrating but, it could be over three games. They used their home advantage. It’s time for us to use ours on Friday. It’s a completely different game at the Bank,” said midfielder Ashley Westwood.

If Charlotte do manage to secure a win they’ll tie the series and set up a decider in Orlando, something Smith is not as keen about.

“The only problem in this result for us is that if we get the win as we want to do on Friday, we’ll have to be back at Orlando a week later,” he said.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Charlotte FC – Kristijan Kahlina

Nominated for MLS goalkeeper of the season, he will be crucial in maintaining Charlotte’s impressive home defensive record. They kept an MLS-high nine home clean sheets during the 2024 regular season.

Going back to the end of last season, Charlotte have kept clean sheets in 12 of its last 20 home matches in all competitions.

Kahlina has played all 35 of Charlotte’s MLS matches so far this season and boasts a save percentage of 75.6%, having kept 12 clean sheets.

Orlando City – Facundo Torres

The striker was on form in game one of the play-offs, bagging a goal in Orlando’s 2-0 win. He is Orlando’s top scorer this season with 15 goals.

He has the second-best shot conversion rate at Orlando (28.8%), and his distribution is just as vital to the visitors, having made 46 key passes this season – the second most on the team.

MATCH PREDICTION: CHARLOTTE FC WIN

The only ever away win in the eight all-time meetings between Charlotte FC and Orlando City was a 2-1 win by the Lions on their first visit to Charlotte in August 2022.

Since then, Charlotte are unbeaten in three home matches against Orlando City (W1 D2).

The Crown have lost just three of their last 28 home matches in all competitions dating back to June 2023 (W13 D12), the fewest home defeats by any MLS team in all competitions in that time.

However, if anyone can get a result away at Charlotte, it’s Orlando. They have won five of their last seven away matches (L2), including winning the last three in a row.

The Lions have scored three goals in each of their last three away games, something no team has ever done in four straight MLS matches (incl. playoffs).

Orlando have got the better of Charlotte of late, unbeaten in their last four MLS matches (Wins: 2 Draws: 2 Losses: 0).

Charlotte are looking for their first league win in encounters between the two sides since March 2023. Orlando have outscored Charlotte 7-3 during their unbeaten streak.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Charlotte FC – 36.8%

Draw – 26.3%

Orlando City – 36.9%

Xabi Alonso wants to see defensive improvements from Bayer Leverkusen, as he prepares for an "intense" game against Stuttgart.

Leverkusen, the Bundesliga champions, have already shipped 15 goals in the league this term.

They sit third, five points behind joint-leaders Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig and three ahead of eighth-placed Stuttgart ahead of Friday's clash.

Leverkusen have dropped nine points from winning positions in the Bundesliga this season, with only Wolfsburg worse off (11). They are the only team to have led in all eight of their league games this term (W4, D3, L1).

That is after Leverkusen did not squander a single point after taking the lead last season, and Alonso says there is plenty of room for improvement.

He said: "The last few games against Stuttgart have been really exciting.

"We are already feeling a good energy ahead of the game and we have prepared for the intensity that we expect. It’s a huge game.

"It's a big task for us to improve our defensive performance. We can score a lot of goals but we must not concede them.

"We hope to keep a clean sheet and we need to play well with and without the ball."

Stuttgart have not made a flying start to their Bundesliga campaign, though they have reeled off three straight wins in all competitions, including beating Juventus in the Champions League.

"There are a lot of emotions in these matches and Stuttgart are a strong team," said Alonso.

"They deserve their place in the Champions League."

Stuttgart have led in each of their five competitive games against Leverkusen under Sebastian Hoeness, but have not won any of them.

The last three meetings have seen Leverkusen score after the 88-minute mark.

Despite their iffy form this season, the defending champions have lost just one of their last 42 Bundesliga games (W32, D9).

They have picked up the most points in the league by far since the start of last term (105), followed by Bayern (92), Leipzig and Stuttgart (both 85).