Thomas Muller will start Bayern Munich's clash with title rivals Union Berlin on Sunday after he was hauled off early on in the defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach.

Head coach Julian Nagelsmann replaced captain Muller with Joao Cancelo after just 16 minutes against Monchengladbach, making a tactical substitution with Bayern a goal behind and down to 10 men after Dayot Upamecano's early red card.

The champions went on to lose 3-2, another blow to their hopes of winning an 11th consecutive Bundesliga title as their challengers made ground.

Nagelsmann's decision to replace veteran Muller so early came under scrutiny after the match, having also chosen to start him on the bench for Bayern's 1-0 Champions League first-leg victory over Paris Saint-Germain.

With the Bavarian side facing shock title challengers Union this weekend, Nagelsmann confirmed the 33-year-old will be in the starting XI.

"Thomas is a very experienced player, he was told why the decision was made," Nagelsmann said at his pre-match press conference. "You can always discuss it afterwards. I spoke to Thomas at length and clearly he is not happy.

"He is very professional and an important player. His importance is huge because it goes beyond the game itself. He will start on Sunday. He is aware of the overall situation."

The slip-up against Monchengladbach allowed Borussia Dortmund and Union to both pull level on points with Bayern at the top, though the champions' goal difference means they clung onto their position at the summit.

Nagelsmann's men have picked up just nine of a possible 18 points since the turn of the year, while Sunday's opponents have taken 16 over the same period.

A tricky encounter is expected against Union, who have never won a Bundesliga match against Bayern in seven attempts.

"I'm expecting a top game," Nagelsmann said. "Union always bring their football onto the pitch, designed for counter-attacks, with their physicality. It's always uncomfortable to play them.

"It will definitely be an exciting and interesting game, hopefully with a better outcome for us."

Nagelsmann revealed Bayern could be boosted by the return at some point in the game of Sadio Mane, who has been absent since early November after suffering a leg injury that ruled him out of Senegal's World Cup campaign.

"Sadio Mane isn't fit enough to start," Nagelsmann added. "But he is an option that we're really happy about."

France captain Wendie Renard will sit out the 2023 Women's World Cup unless there is a regime change, she revealed in a bombshell announcement on Friday.

In a statement posted on social media, Renard said she loved France "more than anything" but blamed "the current system" for her decision and said she wanted to protect her mental health.

The 32-year-old has 142 international caps and is one of the best-known women's footballers in the world game.

Renard was stripped of the captaincy by head coach Corinne Diacre in 2017, before regaining it four years later, with French outlet RMC Sport reporting her decision on Friday relates to concerns about Diacre, who remains in charge of the team.

Renard wrote: "I defended the blue, white and red jersey 142 times with passion, respect, commitment and professionalism. I love France more than anything, I'm not perfect, far from it, but I can no longer endorse the current system, far from the requirements required by the highest level.

"It's a sad but necessary day to preserve my mental health. It is with a heavy heart that I come by this message to inform you of my decision to take a step back from the French team.

"Unfortunately, I will not play this World Cup in such conditions. My face can hide the pain, but my heart hurts... and I don't want to hurt any more."

Renard has won 15 Division 1 Feminine titles with her club Lyon, as well as nine Coupe de France trophies and eight Women's Champions League titles.

The Women's World Cup takes place between July 20 and August 20 in Australia and New Zealand.

England and Barcelona star Lucy Bronze sent a message of support to Renard, her former Lyon team-mate, posting on Instagram: "With you my sister always."

French tennis legend Yannick Noah added his support, writing: "Courage to you Wendie."

Luciano Spalletti says Napoli cannot afford to make "the slightest mistake" when they visit Empoli on Saturday, having seen their Scudetto bid derailed by the same opponents last season.

Napoli are 15 points clear of Inter at the Serie A summit ahead of their trip to the Stadio Carlo Castellani, and appear destined to win their first league title since the Diego Maradona era.

However, Empoli have only lost one of their nine home games against Napoli in Serie A, winning four and drawing four – with last campaign's contest having a huge impact on the title race.

Napoli squandered a two-goal lead in the final 10 minutes as they succumbed to a 3-2 defeat at Empoli last April, a result which all but ended their hopes of beating Milan and Inter to the Scudetto.

Despite Napoli's seven-game winning streak making them overwhelming title favourites, Spalletti is wary of the threat posed by a side he represented as both a player and as head coach.

"Don't get confused between work and superstition," Spalletti said. "Here, we work in the right way. 

"The match with Empoli [last season] destroyed our whole year of work, we could have won 3-0 and instead we lost, it was devastating. We suffered a lot.

"We want to win for our city, we feel it. We can't make the slightest mistake. Sometimes, they happen unexpectedly and determine the fate of the whole situation.

"The euphoria we have cannot become presumption, which would stop us from growing."

Empoli are one of just two teams – the other being Inter – to have beaten Napoli twice across the last two Serie A campaigns, doing the double over the Partenopei last term.

However, Napoli appear to be a different beast this campaign, and Spalletti's men have even been touted as contenders to win the Champions League following Tuesday's 2-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of their last-16 tie.

Asked whether his side should be held up as an example for others to follow, Spalletti said: "I don't know if we can become a role model.

"Our approach is this, to play good football with our characteristics and to achieve as many results as possible. We are pleased with the compliments, of course."

Erik ten Hag warned his Manchester United team not to be "distracted" by their "annoying" EFL Cup final opponents Newcastle United.

United face Newcastle in Sunday's Wembley showpiece, bidding for the first major silverware of the English season.

But Ten Hag is not expecting a free-flowing encounter, having noted Newcastle's gamesmanship during the campaign.

"I think it's a great team," Ten Hag said of Newcastle, who held United to a goalless draw at Old Trafford in the Premier League in October.

"It's a clear philosophy about how they play the game. The key word is 'intensity'. They do really well. They're an annoying team to play against, so we have to find a way to win."

Asked if he had meant to describe Newcastle as "annoying", Ten Hag confirmed and replied: "They try to annoy you. So, we have to make sure we play our game and focus on our game."

Pressed further on the matter, Ten Hag highlighted Newcastle's perceived time-wasting.

It was the subject of some contention when the Magpies lost at Liverpool early in the season – one of only two Premier League defeats for Eddie Howe's side.

According to Opta data, only Leeds United matches have seen less time with the ball in play than those involving Newcastle. However, Aston Villa lead the way for yellow cards for time-wasting, with 11 to Newcastle's five (Fulham have six).

"They are quite successful with it," Ten Hag said. "It's up to us that there's speed in the game, but we are also dependent on the refereeing as well."

At Anfield, Nick Pope was the subject of some criticism for his role in these tactics, but he will miss Sunday's match through suspension, meaning Loris Karius is in line for a Newcastle debut in their biggest match of the season.

"It's an issue for them that they have to sort. Of course we know it," Ten Hag said. "It's definitely not an advantage.

"We can't influence it; the one who is holding [the gloves] can influence it. We have to test him, it's quite obvious."

Asked if Pope's absence would impact Newcastle's gamesmanship, Ten Hag replied: "I don't know the instructions of the opponents. I cannot influence that.

"We have to make it our game, so focus on the job we have to do, focus on football when the ball is in the game. It's about that, being fully concentrated on that and don't get distracted by whatever is on the pitch.

"We have to focus on the job, find our way and find the moments when we can strike."

Diego Simeone believes Vinicius Junior has made "enormous" strides, as the Real Madrid star looks to inflict more derby misery on Atletico Madrid on Saturday.

Vinicius scored twice as Madrid thrashed Liverpool 5-2 in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie at Anfield on Tuesday, taking him to 18 goals for the season.

The Brazilian has saved some of his best performances for meetings with Simeone's Atleti, scoring in January's extra-time Copa del Rey win and starring in a 2-1 away triumph in the teams' last league clash in September.

Speaking at a press conference to preview Saturday's trip to the Santiago Bernabeu, Simeone was full of praise for the in-form winger.

"I think his growth has been enormous," Simeone said of Vinicius on Friday. 

"It was a great bet that Real Madrid had on him, he improved all of his numbers year after year, and he's in a great moment as a player."

Saturday's game will see Simeone claim the outright record for the most matches as coach of one club in LaLiga history, as he oversees Atleti for the 425th time in the league.

Meanwhile, Simeone's 612th game with Atleti will see him draw level with Luis Aragones as the coach to have led them in the most competitive fixtures. 

The Argentine puts his longevity down to the application of those who have played under him, saying: "Above all, I am lucky, and I have to be grateful to the club and to all those who played for the team. 

"Without all these situations, both for the club and for the players, it would be impossible to meet these numbers; they made me able to express myself. 

"The numbers are accompanied by the results. I'm grateful to all the players who went through the team. I am in the place I want to be, and I am still very excited."

While Atleti's six-game unbeaten run in LaLiga is their longest of the season, they sit 10 points behind second-placed Madrid in the table and look destined to endure a trophyless campaign.

Simeone, however, is adamant they have much to play for, adding: "There are seasons where we can compete to win something and others when it seems far away.

"It is not less important, what we have left. Every match where you put on the Rojiblanco shirt, you have to be excited."

Erik ten Hag was unsure on Friday if Marcus Rashford would be fit to feature in the EFL Cup final for Manchester United.

Rashford, the form man both for United and among players across Europe, was substituted with two minutes remaining of Thursday's 2-1 Europa League win over Barcelona.

The England forward had stayed down for a period after tangling with Ronald Araujo and did not move easily when he returned to his feet.

United play Newcastle United at Wembley on Sunday, but Ten Hag will have to wait to see if he will be able to call on Rashford, who has scored 16 goals since the World Cup break.

"I don't know. The players are now coming in," Ten Hag said. "We have to check the medicals – of course yesterday we did.

"So straight after the game, you can't say. We have to wait for 100 per cent diagnosis."

Ten Hag, who definitively ruled Anthony Martial out of the final, is relishing the opportunity to win his first trophy as United manager.

"It's a great opportunity to get silverware in," he said. "It's about glory and honour in football.

"We deserved to play the final, and now we have a great opportunity to win the cup. We have to put everything in to take that cup to Manchester."

Indeed, despite leading United to third in the Premier League, the last 16 in the Europa League and FA Cup, and the EFL Cup final, Ten Hag does not yet see this as a successful season.

"I see it so far not as a success. It's more the road to hopefully success," he said.

"It's only success when you win trophies, but on Sunday we have an opportunity to get success."

Carlo Ancelotti says Real Madrid's goal remains to win every trophy possible this season, despite sitting eight points behind Barcelona in LaLiga.

Madrid have already won the Club World Cup, have qualified for the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey and are well on their way to the last eight of the Champions League after their 5-2 first leg win at Liverpool in the round of 16 on Tuesday.

However, they have dropped points in five of their last 11 league games to fall well behind Barca in the title race, also losing to the Blaugrana in the Supercopa de Espana final.

Speaking ahead of Saturday's derby against Atletico Madrid, head coach Ancelotti recognised things could be better, but he is confident of pushing Madrid's Clasico rivals all the way in the remaining 16 league games.

"We're going to try to win every competition. We're second in the league, so that won't be easy," he said, later adding: "No, I am not happy with the season [so far].

"I would rather be eight points clear and have won the Supercopa de Espana, and a 5-0 result at Anfield would have been better than 5-2, but still, we're doing very well... Hopefully we can recover those lost points [in the league]."

Vinicius Junior was again key at Anfield in midweek, scoring twice, and Ancelotti spoke highly of the in-form Brazilian.

"He works hard, looks after himself, and it is so important that he can keep playing at this level and avoid injuries," he said. 

"What Vinicius shows on the field is what he always tries in training. He has improved a lot in his finishing because he has trained a lot. After training, Vinicius spends 10 to 15 minutes to improve his shooting.

"The challenge ahead is continuity. Trying for 90 minutes, that's what's difficult."

Ancelotti revealed that midfield pair Aurelien Tchouameni and Toni Kroos will be available again after illness, while he also confirmed Nacho will start at left-back against Atletico amid uncertainty around his long-term future at the club.

"I see Nacho every day and there has been a time when he was not happy," he said. "He has not complained to me, and he has continued to suffer the period that he has not played. He has been a professional, and at the moment I always needed him, he has complied.

"I have a weakness which is that [I have to make sure] Madrid is happy... and that only happens if we win. I feel sorry for my players because I am very fond of them. I just want Real Madrid to be satisfied."

MLS returns this weekend less than four months on from one of the most exciting MLS Cup finals in league history.

Plenty has changed since Los Angeles FC beat the Philadelphia Union on penalties in early November.

Gareth Bale, who scored the dramatic LAFC leveller in a 3-3 draw, has retired, the Seattle Sounders made an underwhelming MLS bow in the Club World Cup, and Josef Martinez has left Atlanta United.

That is even before considering the arrival of expansion side St Louis City for the new season.

Those factors all contribute to Stats Perform's preview of the most interesting MLS teams to watch this year.

Inter Miami

There were finally signs of progress from Miami last year as they finished sixth in the East, only to be routed by New York City FC in the first round of the playoffs.

That was Gonzalo Higuain's final match before retiring, but the club looked to have already recruited his replacement in Leonardo Campana, who averaged a goal every 145 minutes in his debut season.

Miami have not settled for that solution, however, instead trading for Martinez from Atlanta.

While Martinez was the Golden Boot winner, MVP, All-Star MVP and MLS Cup MVP in the same season back in 2018, more recent campaigns have been slightly tougher.

Quite how Miami fit Campana and Martinez together remains to be seen, but they will hope to be a real force – at least in attack – in 2023.

Atlanta United

With Martinez gone, Atlanta no longer resemble anything close to the team who dominated in 2018, yet that does not mean they could not also be in for a big year.

Giorgos Giakoumakis has been signed to supply the goals up front, having led the Eredivisie and the Scottish Premiership in scoring in his past two seasons.

Giakoumakis should get plenty of opportunities to hit the ground running, with Atlanta ranking fifth in expected goals last season (57.5) but no team underperforming their xG by a wider margin (9.5).

Atlanta, like Miami, may have issues elsewhere on the pitch, but there will be understandable optimism about the prospect of the new forward linking up with Thiago Almada.

Almada was the Newcomer of the Year in 2022 and ended the year by winning the World Cup with Argentina.

Los Angeles FC

The last season could scarcely have gone better for LAFC, who pipped the Union to the Supporters' Shield and again to MLS Cup.

But as Philly no doubt prepare to fight back in 2023, this could be a trickier year for the reigning champions.

Far more damaging than Bale's exit was the sale of top scorer Cristian Arango, who could now be an opponent in the CONCACAF Champions League with Pachuca.

LAFC are on a collision course with the Union again in that competition, but last year's hard-luck story might prefer to focus on ending their wait for an MLS Cup title.

If LAFC do go all out for Champions League glory, they will risk derailing their league campaign – as has happened so many times in the past.

Seattle Sounders

No team can provide a better example for LAFC than the Sounders – both in how to do it and how not to do it.

Seattle won the CCL last year, completing their trophy cabinet, but it came at the cost of an awful MLS season.

So consistent in reaching the playoffs in each of their first 13 years in MLS, the Sounders fell well short in 2022, hurt by Joao Paulo's ACL tear in the second leg of the Champions League final.

The midfielder returned in the Club World Cup earlier this month, but Seattle fell at the first hurdle against Al Ahly.

Joao Paulo rejoins a highly talented squad, yet the wonder will be if largely the same group can run it back after following four MLS Cup final appearances in five seasons with two down years.

St Louis City

St Louis arrive in MLS in 2023 with a squad that looks every bit as short as one might expect from an expansion franchise reluctant to spend big.

Led by sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel, St Louis have shopped the German market with some fairly underwhelming results.

Neither of their two Designated Player signings, forward Klauss and midfielder Eduard Lowen, look especially likely to tear up the league, while their biggest name recruit is former Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Burki.

That perhaps hints at a realistic approach, knowing a top-class keeper is required to stay competitive in their debut season, but Burki was hardly that by the end of his team at BVB.

He lost his place in the team in the 2020-21 season, having had the third-lowest save percentage in the Bundesliga (59.2) the previous year among goalkeepers with 10 or more appearances.

The rapid rise of Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae has not gone unnoticed, with Manchester United reportedly investigating a potential transfer for the end of the season.

Kim, 26, played in Korea and China until he was 24 years old, eventually catching the eye of Fenerbahce, who purchased him for a €3million fee.

After one season in Turkey, Napoli scooped him up for €18m, and he has played a big part in their best season in the 21st century. He has played in 22 of runaway leaders Napoli's 23 Serie A matches this campaign, starting all of them.

The powerfully-built defender has emerged as one of the league's top talents, and unfortunately for Napoli, he has a surprisingly affordable release clause in his contract.

TOP STORY – MANCHESTER UNITED DISCUSS ACTIVATING KIM'S RELEASE CLAUSE

According to Calciomercato, United have been targeting Kim for months, and have been in contact with his agents to gauge his interest in a potential Premier League move.

Kim reportedly has a £44m (€50m) release clause in his contract, but Napoli officials are desperate to award him a new contract to at least raise that figure to their valuation of £61m (€70m).

United are expected to make him a primary target at the end of the season.

ROUND-UP

– Football London is reporting Arsenal have made 24-year-old West Ham midfielder Declan Rice their top target after acknowledging they will not be in the running for Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham.

– According to the Evening Standard, Arsenal will have to battle Juventus, Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle United to secure 18-year-old Real Valladolid full-back Ivan Fresneda in the next transfer window, with his £26.5m (€30m) release clause drawing plenty of interest.

– Chelsea will allow midfielder Mason Mount to leave before the beginning of next season if he does not agree to a new contract, per The Athletic.

– Sport Witness is reporting Everton had a £22m (€25m) offer for 25-year-old Udinese forward Beto rejected late in the January window, and it is believed they could return with an improved bid. 

– According to Football Insider, Tottenham are viewed as the favourites to land 26-year-old Leicester City midfielder James Maddison, who will be allowed to leave the club if he does not sign an extension.

The suggestion Manchester United are enduring a trophy drought might feel frankly offensive to followers of Newcastle United, their EFL Cup final opponents.

When Newcastle last won a domestic cup, the 1955 FA Cup, they had twice as many major honours to their name (10) as Man United (five).

Since then, though, the side from Old Trafford have won 17 league titles, 15 domestic cups and five major European competitions.

In the same period, Newcastle have celebrated success only in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup – a competition not recognised by UEFA.

Newcastle can end their 68-year wait for a domestic triumph on Sunday but must beat these most familiar of foes, for Man United have done more than most to extend that barren run on Tyneside.

Before this season, the Magpies' last semi-final was a 4-1 FA Cup defeat to Man United in 2005. Their last final was a 2-0 FA Cup defeat to the same opposition in 1999.

Those are counted among seven cup meetings between the sides since 1955, of which Man United have won six, including a 4-0 victory in the 1996 Community Shield.

That, like the 1999 FA Cup final, contributes to Newcastle's eight-game losing streak at Wembley – a record – having won on each of their first five trips to the national stadium.

Even in the league, Newcastle's best two campaigns since 1955 have seen them finish as runners-up to Man United. They have not finished above Man United since 1976-77.

This looked like being a season in which that sequence at least could be ended, but Newcastle have slipped below Man United and out of the top four since their semi-final win over Southampton.

In fact, only Aston Villa and Leeds United have collected fewer points than Newcastle in that time, while no Premier League team have earned as many as Man United.

Eddie Howe's men have understandably been distracted by their looming Wembley date, for which there could hardly be more fitting opponents.

"We're pleased the final's here. I didn't want the wait to be any longer," Howe said after Saturday's defeat to Liverpool, adding: "I wouldn't criticise the players in terms of focusing on the final ahead of the Premier League, but the talk of it has been there."

Yet even before this final, Man United have managed to hurt Newcastle again.

Nick Pope's red card in the Liverpool game saw him ruled out of Sunday's match, and Martin Dubravka cannot play either after spending the first half of the season out on loan at Man United of all teams.

Having played twice in the EFL Cup at Old Trafford, Dubravka is cup-tied and will receive a winners' medal only if his Newcastle team-mates lose. They will be relying instead on Loris Karius, making his debut for the club.

Even had Dubravka been available, Pope would be a big miss. He is so key to the way Newcastle play – with a high line but a slow defence – ironically due to his ability to do the thing that saw him sent off.

Pope leads the Premier League in keeper sweepings (24), mopping up passes in behind the back line effectively when not comically handling the ball outside his area.

No goalkeeper in the country then might have been better suited to combatting Man United's approach, which relies heavily on the speed of Marcus Rashford. They rank joint-first for fast breaks (22), joint-second for shots from fast breaks (16) and first for goals from fast breaks (seven), with Rashford scoring two of those.

Karius, now tasked with stopping Rashford, last appeared for an English club in another final, making two awful errors for Liverpool in their 2018 Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid after sustaining a concussion.

His potential redemption tale in this showpiece adds another layer of narrative that was scarcely needed.

"It would be a magnificent chance for him to rewrite the story of his career," said Howe, while Dubravka added: "It's like the script from a movie. So incredible."

It is not a plot twist anyone involved with Newcastle would have chosen – except perhaps for those following the club this season for a documentary series. "Now we want a happy ending," said Dubravka.

Bruno Guimaraes is at least back from suspension to help with that, although so too is Brazil team-mate Casemiro in the Man United camp.

The former Real Madrid midfielder, like Rashford, provides a very physical threat, but of comparable concern to Newcastle and to Karius might be the considerable mental hurdles they must clear to finally bring silverware back to St James' Park.

Erik ten Hag encouraged Manchester United to exude greater belief and courage prior to their inspired turnaround against Barcelona at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils came from behind to secure a dramatic 4-3 victory over the runaway LaLiga leaders on aggregate and book their place in the last 16 of the competition.

United endured a difficult first half as they fell behind to Robert Lewandowski's penalty and registered just two shots on target, while they could have trailed 2-0 on the night had Casemiro not thwarted Sergi Roberto and Franck Kessie on the stroke of half-time. 

Ten Hag made a substitute at the break for a second successive match, having also done so against Leicester City on Sunday, introducing Antony in favour of Wout Weghorst.

It proved an inspired move as the hosts appeared invigorated upon the contest's resumption. Fred levelled the tie, before Antony struck the winner 17 minutes from time.

"I emphasised the belief. It was too flat [in the] first half," Ten Hag told reporters his post-match press conference. "We had our spare man Casemiro [who] we didn't use enough. Aaron Wan-Bissaka had a lot of space on the right side, we didn't use [him] enough.

"I think in the pressing, we could be more brave. So, that is what we emphasised. The second was to make the sub with Antony, who brought more speed in the play and who brings belief on the pitch.

"In the squad, you need different types and profiles and when your time is there, you have to be ready and contribute with the team. You can't win trophies with 11 [players], especially not nowadays. You need that squad and rotation.

"This is another step because when you can beat Barcelona – one of the best teams in this moment in Europe – your belief can be really strong, because then I think you are able to beat anyone.

"It was a magnificent night. I think it is brilliant when you can beat Barcelona – eight points ahead of Real Madrid in LaLiga – and we have seen this week Real Madrid playing [in their 5-2 win [over Liverpool]. We did a magnificent performance."

Borussia Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic insists his team can manage the absence of Karim Adeyemi and is pleased fans can once again enjoy seeing BVB in a Bundesliga title race.

Dortmund will be without rapid forward Adeyemi for the next few weeks after he suffered torn muscle fibres in Sunday's 4-1 win over Hertha Berlin.

But Terzic is confident Donyell Malen – who scored in that game from the assist that led to Adeyemi's injury – can help to fill the void.

Terzic seemed relaxed at a press conference ahead of Saturday's trip to Hoffenheim, despite being without Adeyemi, who had scored in four successive appearances prior to his injury.

"Of course, it's not nice to do without someone who has not only played really well, but also had many important actions," he said. "He often scored the opening goal or was able to assist goals. Nevertheless, you mustn't forget now, he was suspended for two games in the cup and the league and we were able to play those two games successfully.

"Others took over his role. And last week, for example, Donyell Malen moved well into the team. He was in another position, but he showed a rise in form. And Jamie Bynoe-Gittens played in that position and had another great assist and a huge chance before that.

"So, we have enough ideas and options to react to this loss. Nevertheless, we're keeping our fingers crossed for Karim that it won't take too long and that we can quickly build on his strong performances again."

Dortmund have won all eight of their games since the World Cup break, including six in the league, seeing them move level on 43 points with Bayern Munich and Union Berlin in the top three positions.

However, Terzic pointed to the criticism his team received prior to the World Cup as reason to stay grounded.

"Of course, it's nice that the fans can enjoy this phase now," he told reporters. "After everything that has happened in the last few years, whether it was Covid or [how] many home games in the past that were not successful.

"It's about wanting to create that experience again, that people are up for seeing us play and can't wait to come back. And that is something we are happy about.

"Of course, we are now in a position where these questions will come. But we won't forget the position we were in. After the game [against Borussia Monchengladbach, a 4-2 loss] before the break, there were completely different questions, there were polls. 'Are Dortmund in a position to qualify for the Champions League?'

"And now it's just happening way too fast, and we've already said it: we're currently in a period of upheaval that we initiated in the summer, where we said we're far from finished. A lot will happen in the near future, and we simply must not forget that.

"Of course, we are happy about the way things are going now, but we won't win the game on Saturday just by being happy, but through hard work, a lot of focus, a lot of diligence. And that's what we can influence, and all the other things we simply can't influence. We can only focus on the result and the game on Saturday. And that's what we will do."

If Kylian Mbappe joins Real Madrid, he must do so with his head down, according to former Los Blancos midfielder Guti.

The Paris Saint-Germain star has been perennially linked with a move to Santiago Bernabeu, but sensationally snubbed Madrid last year when he agreed to a new deal in the French capital.

Reports continue to suggest a transfer in the next couple of years is still a possibility, despite Madrid supposedly being angered by Mbappe's decision that prevented them from being able to sign him on a free transfer at the end of last season.

Speaking on El Chiringuito, Guti said: "Mbappe must come to Real Madrid with his head down and be like one of the others in the dressing room. 

"If this is not the case, he is mistaken and does not know which club he is representing. 

"It is reality. [Luis] Figo came, Ronaldo came...

"I don't know what his reality is in Paris and how it goes in the PSG locker room. 

"He might be the best player in the world who would be signed, but Real Madrid are much more than that."

The 24-year-old has scored 27 goals in 28 games for PSG this season and recently became the youngest player to score 150 goals in Ligue 1 by two years.

Croatia defender Dejan Lovren has retired from international football at the age of 33.

The Lyon centre-back announced on Thursday that he has played his last game for his country.

Lovren won 78 caps, the last of which coming in a 3-0 World Cup semi-final defeat to an Argentina side that went on to be crowned champions in Qatar in December.

The former Liverpool man, who made his Croatia debut in 2009, was an unused substitute for a victory over Morocco's in the third-place play-off.

Lovren played his part in Croatia's run to the World Cup final in 2018, when they were beaten by France.

He said in a lengthy open letter: "I want to tell every single young football player in the country that they must look at the Croatian national team as a completely other dimension of football – look at these players as your superheroes. 

"The most beautiful chapters of my national team story were the ones that we wrote during the past five years. This is, if I’m being honest, still a complete dream to me.

"So many emotions went through me, especially in 2018 and 2022, and I find it difficult to put these experiences into words.

"I lived my life in hope that I would get to experience moments like those and, when they did come, I lived them with immense pride. These memories will remain in my heart forever."

Portugal, Panama and Haiti have secured their place at the 2023 Women's World Cup as three of eight tournament debutants.

The tournament, which has been expanded to 32 teams, will be held in Australia and New Zealand in July and August.

Panama beat Paraguay 1-0 at Hamilton's Waikato Stadium on Thursday to confirm their place, while Portugal overcame Cameroon 2-1 at the same venue.

Haiti, meanwhile, defeated Chile 2-1 in Auckland.

The three nations, along with Morocco, Vietnam, Zambia, the Republic of Ireland and the Philippines are set to play in a Women's World Cup for the first time.

Indeed, Panama, Portugal and Vietnam had never previously qualified for a FIFA women's competition, while Morocco – whose men's team enjoyed a stunning run to the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar last year – became the first-ever Arab nation to be represented in FIFA's flagship women's tournament.

Haiti have been placed in Group D alongside China, Denmark, who are making their first World Cup appearance since 2007, and European champions England.

The matches in that pool will be played in Australia, as they will be in Group F, with Panama set to face Jamaica along with heavyweights Brazil and France.

Portugal will go up against Vietnam, the Netherlands and two-time reigning champions the United States in Group E, which will be played out in New Zealand.

Co-hosts New Zealand take on Norway in Auckland in the tournament's opening game on July 20.