Ruud van Nistelrooy is keen to become Manchester United manager one day but says he wants to return to his role as assistant coach under new boss Ruben Amorim. 

Having returned to Old Trafford as one of Erik ten Hag’s assistants in the summer, he has stepped up as caretaker head coach since his compatriot was sacked last month.

Van Nistelrooy has overseen victories over Leicester City in the EFL Cup and PAOK in the Europa League, drawing his other game against Chelsea in the Premier League. 

The Foxes are the visitors once again to Old Trafford in the Dutchman's final game in charge on Sunday before Amorim takes the reins the following day. 

Asked if he would like to manage the team he scored 150 goals for during his playing days, Van Nistelrooy said: "Yeah, of course.

"I thought this through well when I made the decision to come to United as an assistant manager or assistant coach," Van Nistelrooy said.

"I knew that coming to Manchester United was for me a special occasion, where I felt I wanted to be part of this journey with the club in also an assistant role.

"I had clear ambitions to manage. I made the decision to sign a two-year deal as an assistant, and I'm still in that frame of mind to stay in that capacity."

The 48-year-old does have managerial experience, too. He was previously the manager of PSV Eindhoven, winning the Dutch Cup in his only season in charge. 

During his short tenure in the Netherlands, he won 34 of his 50 games in charge (D8 L8), scoring 126 goals and ending with a win percentage of 66.67%. 

Van Nistelrooy is under contract with United until 2026, but question marks have been raised over his future with Amorim set to bring in his own staff.

But he insisted that this weekend's sole focus is on ensuring that United are in the best possible shape for Amorim's impending arrival at Old Trafford. 

"I called it an important period because I think it was important to get through the four games as good as we could," said Van Nistelrooy.

"I think we've done very well so far. The players have reacted very well in the games.

"The focus now is to build on that and show that on Sunday, with a big game ahead and a massive three points that are there to win.

"I don't know if it will be very emotional. I take it very pragmatically as well, although I am proud to be able to fulfil this. We'll see how I feel on Sunday."

And while this may be Van Nistelrooy's second Old Trafford farewell, he has reason to be confident of ending his latest Red Devils stint on a high. 

United have lost just two of their last 17 Premier League games against Leicester (W10 D5), with those defeats coming consecutively in May and October 2021.

Roberto De Zerbi has sensationally threatened to quit Marseille just over four months after joining the Ligue 1 side following their 3-1 home defeat to Auxerre on Friday. 

Mason Greenwood's 65th minute penalty proved to be a consolation after Lassine Sinayoko, Gaetan Perrin and Hamed Traore had the visitors three goals up at the break.  

Despite Marseille sitting second in Ligue 1, they find themselves six points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain, who can extend their lead at the top against Angers on Saturday.

De Zerbi's struggles have come at the Velodrome this season, winning just one of his five home league games in charge.

Only Anges and Montpellier (four) have picked up fewer points on home soil this term than Marseille (five). 

Their latest defeat saw Marseille lose two consecutive Ligue 1 home games for the first time since February 2023.

They also lost to a newly promoted side while conceding at least three goals for the first time in the league since a 3-1 defeat to Nimes in August 2018, leaving De Zerbi furious at full-time. 

"If I'm the problem, I'm ready to leave. I'll leave the money and hand back my contract," De Zerbi said. "I came to Marseille for the Velodrome, to play at the Velodrome.

"And I can't get the players to give here what I see in training and in away games. It's my fault, it's my responsibility.

"Playing at the Velodrome is a privilege. I want to be able to pass on to the people who work with me what I think about football. And I can't do that."

Los Angeles FC advanced to the Western Conference MLS playoff semi-finals after beating the Vancouver Whitecaps 1-0 at the BMO Stadium on Friday. 

After a tense first-half that saw just one shot on target, Mateusz Bogusz's 62nd minute strike settled the best-of-three series to set up a tie with the Seattle Sounders. 

A cagey opening to proceedings saw clear-cut chances hard to come by, as visiting striker Brian White saw his effort comfortably gathered by Hugo Lloris in the 27th minute. 

But the decisive moment came just after the hour-mark when Andres Cubas' poor header was collected by Bogusz, with the Pole then firing a left-footed effort into the far corner. 

Vancouver, however, improved after going a goal down and thought they had drawn themselves level through Tristan Blackmon, but his 74th minute header was ruled out for offside.

The visitors continued to push to try and send the game to penalties, but LAFC were able to hold on to seal their progression to the semi-finals for the third consecutive season. 

Data Debrief: Bogusz keeps the double alive

In a game that lacked quality from both sides in the final third, LAFC's Bogusz proved to be the difference, netting his 20th goal of the season in all competitions on Friday. 

The Pole also registered a team-high expected goals (xG) tally of 0.21, while also completing the joint-most successful dribbles (three) along with Lewis O'Brien. 

The Whitecaps, meanwhile, have still managed to win just once in their 13 all-time away matches against LAFC (D4 L8), though this one may be their most heartbreaking. 

Former champions Kingston College produced a five-star performance to open the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Digicel Manning Cup quarterfinal round in commanding fashion as they blanked Tivoli High 5-0, while reigning champions Mona High and Jamaica College played out a 1-1 stalemate in the Group A double-header at Stadium East on Friday.

A brace from Damaine Smith (3rd and 19th) and one each from Matrim Martin (32nd), Kamaul Patterson (45+3) and Deshawn Byfield (51st) got the job done for Kingston College in the lopsided feature contest.

Meanwhile in the curtain-raiser, Sean Leighton’s 35th-minute strike for Mona High was cancelled out by Jamaica College’s captain Dyllan John, who converted a 65th-minute penalty to secure his team a share of the spoils.

With the result, Kingston College took command of the group on three points, while Jamaica College and Mona trail with a point each. Tivoli will have to play catch up from the foot of the four-team standing.

Kingston College were always favoured to take three points off Tivoli High, and they did so with consummate ease in what was a showcase of their offensive prowess and defensive strength as they overwhelmed the opponents from start to finish.

The famed purples wasted little time to break the deadlock as Smith got on the end of a weighted pass and easily fired past Daniel Bailey in goal for Tivoli High.

Their precise passing and tactical awareness kept Tivoli on the back foot, and it was another of those passes from the back that sent Smith on his way to complete his brace with another simple finish.

That brace set the tone for what would be a long and arduous game for Tivoli High, who soon found themselves 3-0 down when Shareef Ricketts’ weighted corner kick picked out Martin at the far post and the Guyanese made no mistakes from goalmouth.

Struggling to find any answer to the waves of attacks that Kingston College unleashed, the West Kingston team were left visibly demoralized as another weighted freekick from Ricketts eluded defenders and Patterson capitalised at the far post to make it 4-0 at the break.

The second half saw no reprieve for Tivoli High, as Kingston College continued to drive forward with confidence and added to their tally six minutes in when Byfield fired home after Smith’s effort burst through the hands of the hapless Bailey.

Tivoli High tried to play their game when Kingston College eased up a bit, but their offensive efforts were always easily thwarted by the North Street-based team’s backline long before they posed any real threat.

Kingston College’s Head coach, Vassell Reynolds, praised his players for their discipline and focus.

“We really wanted to get three points today because that put us in good stead to push on for the remainder of this round, and I thought the boys responded well and did pretty well. So I am pretty satisfied with our conversion rate and the overall performance,” Vassell said in a post-game interview.

Tivoli’s assistant coach, Lance DaCosta, believes a lapse in concentration resulted in the loss but backed his team to bounce back against Mona and Jamaica College.

“I think we struggled defensively; we made too many errors, and they cost us. At this stage we should be more mature and more focused, but we just have to motivate them and try to win our next two games to advance,” he said.

Earlier in what was one of the season’s most anticipated clashes, Mona forced the initiative and camped out in Jamaica College’s quarters in the early exchanges. They took a few cracks at target, which tested Taywane Lynch, but the Jamaica College custodian proved equal to the task on each occasion.

Jamaica College eventually found their footing in attack and thought they had the go-ahead goal in the 28th when Giovanni Taylor fired home from close range, but it was controversially called back for an offside.

Mona eventually grabbed the ascendancy when Leighton finished his fifth goal of the season with aplomb after Robino Gordon’s effort was saved to make it 1-0 at the break.

However, Jamaica College pulled level five minutes past the hour mark when John fired home from the 12-yard spot after being awarded a controversial penalty.

Friday’s results

Mona 1, Jamaica College 1

Kingston College 5, Tivoli High 0

St Catherine 3, Campion College 0

Hydel vs Excelsior (Postponed)

Dean Smith is hoping Charlotte FC can replicate their aggressive approach from game 2 when they travel to Orlando City in their MLS playoff decider.

Charlotte forced a third match in their best-of-three series against Orlando, winning 3-1 on penalties after a 0-0 draw on Thursday.

However, they lost the first game 2-0 when they travelled to Inter & Co Stadium and have not had much luck on the road against the Lions, failing to win there since March 2023.

Smith was proud of how his side took the game to Orlando on home soil and is urging his players for more of the same when they return to Florida.

"There's still a job to be done. We think we can go to Orlando and put in a performance that will put us through to the Conference semi-finals," Smith said.

"We have to take our intensity in. That's what gave us that performance, our aggressiveness.

"We forced them into mistakes, and we restricted them to almost no chances, so we were doing something right. We need to make sure we're on the front foot again and take it to them."

Meanwhile, Orlando are hoping their home advantage will provide a much-needed boost as they look to put that shoot-out defeat behind them.

They only managed one shot on target in that match and then netted just one of the four penalties that they took, but Oscar Pareja is confident they are in a strong position to go through.

"We're good. We're aiming for the same intensity, the same intentions, the same plans and the same positive essence that we have.

"When things get tight you've got to use the advantage, and we have that by being at home. We're going to be faithful to the tactics that have got us to this point.

"We have to be confident and be ourselves. Have full belief in what to do. We have a team that plays very well and one that has earned this ride, so we plan to use our advantages."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Orlando City – Duncan McGuire

Orlando attempted just three shots in their game 2 draw and penalty shoot-out defeat to Charlotte, their fewest in any MLS match this season, while hitting just one on target.

Duncan McGuire was responsible for one of those, generating 0.25 expected goals with that effort. The substitute also had the most touches in the box (three) of any Orlando player.

Charlotte FC – Kristijan Kahlina

Charlotte have won both of their penalty shootouts, beating Orlando City 4-1 on Friday after recording a 3-1 shootout win in the 2023 Leagues Cup group stage.

Charlotte have converted all seven of their penalties in shootouts while Kristijan Kahlina allowed goals on just two of the seven spot-kicks he faced.

MATCH PREDICTION: ORLANDO CITY WIN

Orlando have won eight of their last 10 home matches against MLS opposition in all competitions (D1 L1), including a 2-0 victory over Charlotte in Game 1 on October 27. The Lions scored multiple goals in all eight wins over that time.

While Charlotte stayed alive with a penalty shoot-out win after a scoreless draw against Orlando in Game 2 on Saturday, the Lions have now kept clean sheets in three straight matches against them after not doing so in any of the first six meetings in all competitions.

Charlotte's only defeat in their last seven matches in all competitions was their Game 1 loss at Orlando on October 27. In fact, Charlotte’s last loss prior to this run of seven games (W4 D2 L1) also came in Orlando (on September 18), with the omens not looking good going into their final match.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Orlando City – 53.7%

Draw – 23.7%

Charlotte FC – 22.5%

Antonio Conte has no intention of holding anything back when he returns to San Siro, as the top two face off in Serie A on Sunday.

The Italian revived Inter and helped them break Juventus's nine-year stranglehold on the Scudetto, stopping their run in the 2020-21 season to win the title for the first time since their treble-winning campaign in 2009-10.

Now at Napoli, a club that is looking to return to the heights of their 2022-23 title win, Conte's side sit top of Serie A with 25 points after 11 games - a point above Inter ahead of their upcoming clash.

"It's definitely nice to return to where I worked and won. Yes, two happy years," Conte told reporters.

"It was a wonderful experience that I carry within me, like all the past ones that I lived to the fullest."

Napoli's winning run in Serie A came to a grinding halt against Atalanta last weekend when Conte's side were beaten 3-0, and they have a poor recent record against Inter, having won just one of their last 10 Serie A matches against them.

Napoli are looking to avoid suffering two consecutive top-flight losses for the first time since last December, and Conte says he is in no mood to drop three points again.

"The three points is always important, it is inevitable that we face a team that today, for everything they have shown, is the strongest team," Conte added.

"We are not going to San Siro to wave the white flag before starting, but convinced to play our cards. Then we will see what happens. We are preparing in a major way, as we always do.

"It will be an important test, we will measure ourselves against the best, and it will be important to understand our progress. Do not forget that we arrive at the top of the table... and the objective is to remain at the top."

Napoli striker Romelu Lukaku has scored only one goal in his last four games, but when asked about his form, Conte said he was tired of questions about the Belgian striker.

"At every blessed conference, there is always the question about Lukaku. It becomes a bit - not annoying - but we are talking about the team. Lukaku's growth depends on the growth of the team," Conte said.

"But I am confident because I see them every day, they want to work and improve. I see a lot of commitment and I would not reduce it to a single player. It is not fair to the others."

Tom Cleverley believes Watford "deserved the three points" after an improved second-half display saw them beat Oxford United 1-0.

Vakoun Bayo scored the only goal of the match in the 54th minute after he turned in the rebound of his own saved shot.

It is the fifth goal he has scored in three games, having also netted four times in the Hornets' 6-2 victory over Sheffield Wednesday last weekend.

The hosts registered 12 shots, seven of which were on target, as they upped the pressure after the break. They only had four attempts in the first half, though Ciaron Brown had to clear an in-swinging Watford corner off his own goal line on the stroke of half-time.

The three points lift Watford up to fourth in the Championship table ahead of the rest of the weekend's fixtures, and Cleverley was pleased with the marked improvement he saw in the second 45 minutes.

"I thought the second-half performance was really good until the last five minutes really," he told Sky Sports.

"I thought we didn't manage the game as well as we could do and a few refereeing decisions - dubious one that went against us - meant they could get the ball in our box.

"So, it felt a bit hands to the pump at the end, but I thought for the first 35 minutes of the second half, we were absolutely fantastic and were unlucky not to make it two, three.

"Understandably flat performance in the first half, probably from both teams with it being such a demanding week.

"But I thought our second-half performance in the main deserved the three points and our supporters helped us through."

Meanwhile, Oxford remain 16th and have now won just one of their last 10 matches in the Championship.

They failed to register a single shot on target in the first half, and are yet to win a game when conceding the opening goal in the league this season, with this the fifth such match they have gone behind.

It was Oxford's sixth defeat of the season and while manager Des Buckingham said there were positives to take, he was left frustrated by their lack of a clinical edge.

"I'm extremely proud but extremely frustrated," he said.

"I'm disappointed we haven't come away with something. I felt we created enough, we just haven't taken them. If we keep playing that way, we will be fine.

"We speak about being a together group. We did well, but Watford took their chance."

Khadija Shaw believes Manchester City are "unstoppable" when they raise their level after securing a resounding 4-0 win over Tottenham in the Women's Super League.

Shaw made history, overtaking Vivianne Miedema as the player with the most WSL hat-tricks and becoming the first player in the league to net three separate trebles against the same side.

The Jamaican opened the scoring after just 23 seconds, robbing Clare Hunt of the ball, before adding to her tally in the 15th and 67th minutes to take the match ball home. Jill Roord had added City's third 91 seconds before Shaw wrapped up her hat-trick.

City dominated throughout, with Lauren Hemp also unlucky not to end up on the scoresheet after hitting both posts and the bar with a pacy strike from inside the box.

It was a win that moved City four points clear at the top of the WSL table ahead of Chelsea's match at Liverpool on Sunday.

Shaw was delighted to walk away with the match ball, but especially with the quality that City have shown so far this campaign.

"We really enjoyed that one," Shaw told Sky Sports. "We spoke as a team that we wanted to come out here and be on the front foot.

"Fortunately for me, with my pressing that I've been working on, we managed to get the goal. It was a good night.

"With the players that I have around me, I know that I’m going to get crosses, it's just making the right movements in the box and they will find me. I've just been getting better and growing, so I'm happy.

"At the back end of last season, we just fell short with the goal difference. It's about staying consistent, because we know we have the quality.

"Once we go at every game on the front foot from the first whistle, we're really good at that. We have to keep going and see where we can raise the level even better, so when we get to that level, we're unstoppable."

City have won their last nine matches in all competitions, scoring seven goals without reply in their last two WSL outings.

Despite their emphatic win at the Etihad Stadium on Friday though, Gareth Taylor still believes there is room for improvement from his side, especially with reigning champions Chelsea next up for them in the league.

"I said to them, I think we can be better," Taylor told Sky Sports.

"I thought at times tonight we were a little bit loose. A little bit slow with our play. It's really difficult to be critical because it's a different environment for us."

Pep Guardiola is facing the prospect of losing four consecutive matches for the first time in his career but is confident Manchester City do not need extra reassurance.

All three of City's recent losses have come in different competitions, first falling to Tottenham in the EFL Cup round of 16 before following it up with defeats to Bournemouth in the Premier League and Sporting CP in the Champions League.

It is the first time the Citizens have been on such a run since doing so between May and August 2021, while in the same season, it is the first time since April 2018.

In the Premier League, Guardiola's men were on a 32-match unbeaten run before their defeat to Bournemouth, and they have only lost two consecutive top-flight matches three times under the Spaniard before.

The Spaniard has been vocal about his team's recent injury struggles, and will once again be without Jack Grealish, despite his recent England call-up, John Stones and Ruben Dias for the trip to Brighton on Saturday.

Bernardo Silva said the team were in a "dark place" after their game at Sporting on Tuesday, but Guardiola does not believe he needs to provide any extra motivation to help get his players back to winning ways.

"I don't think [the players need extra reassurance]. Of course, we are not used to losing three games in three different competitions, but it is football, and it has happened," Guardiola said.

"We know the reason why we struggle, but we are looking forward to this game and after the international break, and after that a few players will be back and recovered. All the little problems we have with players will be solved. I hope.

"There always is a first time [to lose four straight]. Hopefully, it is not the case.

"Twenty minutes against Fulham we were not good, against Bournemouth we were not good, but the rest of the games we were good. We are good. We will see what happens."

Reggae Girl Khadija "Bunny" Shaw delivered a historic performance on Friday, scoring a hat-trick that led Manchester City Women to a dominant 4-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur Women in the Barclays Women's Super League (WSL). Shaw's incredible feat helped City extend their lead at the top of the table, reaching 19 points, four clear of Chelsea, who have played two games fewer.

Shaw, who has now scored seven goals in the league this season, wasted no time asserting her dominance, scoring just moments after kick-off. Bursting through on goal, she slotted the ball into the bottom corner, giving City an immediate 1-0 lead. In the 15th minute, Shaw struck again, towering over defenders to head home a looping cross from Lauren Hemp. Tottenham’s goalkeeper and fellow Jamaican, Rebecca Spencer, got a hand to it, but Shaw's powerful header proved unstoppable.

City continued to apply pressure, and in the 66th minute, Jill Roord added to the scoreline. After evading a challenge, Hemp found Roord in the box, who shifted the ball onto her left foot and fired it into the roof of the net, making it 3-0. Just a minute later, Shaw completed her hat-trick. Hemp, instrumental throughout, drove down the byline and delivered a precise cross into the box, where Shaw was perfectly positioned to knock it home.

Shaw's hat-trick set new records in the WSL. She became the first player to record three hat-tricks against the same team and broke her teammate Vivianne Miedema’s record with her sixth career hat-trick in the league.

Facing her fellow Reggae Girlz teammates Drew Spence and Rebecca Spencer, Shaw showed why she is one of the most prolific strikers in the league, continuing to propel Manchester City to the top of the WSL standings with her record-breaking performance.

Arsenal got back to winning ways in the Women's Super League, brushing aside high-flying Brighton with an emphatic 5-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium.

Three goals in 12 first-half minutes had put the Gunners out of sight to ensure Renee Slegers continued her unbeaten start as interim boss.

Beth Mead returned to the starting line-up and took just 13 minutes to get her name on the scoresheet, cutting inside from the right to bend a lovely shot into the far-bottom corner.

Brighton were picked apart down their left again shortly after, with Kim Little fizzing a dangerous low cross into the six-yard box, and Caitlin Foord was on hand to turn it in from close range.

Three minutes later, Frida Maanum got a stunning third, whipping a delightful finish into the top-right corner from the edge of the box, and Foord should have got their fourth on the stroke of half-time but fired against the post while off-balance.

Substitute Lina Hurting then rose high in the 76th minute to flick on a corner which neither Sophie Baggaley nor Guro Bergsvand could keep out despite their best efforts.

Stina Blackstenius was dragged down in the penalty area in stoppage time, and Alessia Russo confidently stepped up to bury the resulting spot-kick to send Arsenal fourth in the table.

Data Debrief: Off the mark at home

Slegers looks to have settled into life as Arsenal's interim boss seamlessly, and Arsenal avoided a slip-up against a tricky opponent to register their first home win of the season.

They have now won all 13 of their WSL meetings with Brighton by an aggregate score of 48-2, while it is the fifth clean sheet Arsenal have kept against them at home.

Mead also improved on her already impressive record against Brighton - against no side does she have more combined goals and assists than the Seagulls (13 - eight goals, five assists).

New York City FC boss Nick Cushing rubbished rumours linking him with the vacant head coach position with Arsenal women, confirming he would remain in the MLS next season.

Cushing previously spent seven years in charge of Manchester City in the Women's Super League between 2013 and 2020 and has been touted for a return to England with the Gunners after Jonas Eidevall's dismissal last month.

Despite the rumours circulating around his future after leading NYCFC into the postseason, Cushing was quick to deny reports, saying: "I can confirm that I will be back here next year."

The Pigeons travel to the TQL Stadium to face FC Cincinnati this weekend in an encounter that will decide who will advance to the Eastern Conference semi-finals in the MLS playoffs.

Cushing encouraged his players to play their football and dig deep in their pursuit of a victory, adding his side can harness the momentum generated from their 3-1 win in Game 2.

"It's about trying to show our players how much our fans enjoy seeing that type of performance from our players," he said. "Not just the good football and the goals, but the guts and the fight and the desire to ensure that we are the team that goes through the next game right.

"The performance at Citi Field had everything. Not only did we play well and create chances, but the running numbers were excellent, as was the desire to make sure that we didn't give the second goal away.”

"We've got to make sure that we play the football that our fans deserve and that we know we can play, and in the difficult moments, you have to dig deep. We know who we are now. We've just got to make sure that we go prepared, and we deliver everything that we've got.”

Pat Noonan, meanwhile, noted that his side were unable to create clear-cut opportunities against NYCFC, which resulted in defeat last time out.

The Orange and Blue scored 58 goals in the regular season, with only the four sides who finished above them in the East netting more.

But despite their defeat in Game 2, Noonan is confident that his players will respond in their deciding fixture, not wanting to end their season just yet.

"We've created enough chances. These are playoff games. You're not going to score three, four, five goals a game. So sometimes one goal is going to have to be enough like we saw last week," Noonan said.

"I don't expect us to score at ease. That's just not how these games are played. But it was going to take a little bit more, and we just didn't finish some of those moments when it was 2-1 to level it in a better way or in a good enough way.

"I could see it in the locker room. The guys are going to move on from this pretty quickly. For a team that just lost a game, I think they recognise the good and the bad of the game to know they should feel confident going into Game 3.

"So at the moment, I don't think I need to say too much. I think they understand, and we'll just have good conversations about this game and what we think needs to improve when we go back home."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

FC Cincinnati – Luca Orellano

Orellano scored Cincinnati's only goal in their Game 2 defeat to the Pigeons, notching his 13th goal in all competitions this term.

He is the seventh different player to score Cincinnati's last seven playoff goals dating back to last season's first round. Four of those seven scorers hail from Argentina.

NYCFC – Alonso Martinez

Martinez found the back of the net against Cincinnati in NYCFC's 3-1 win in Game 2, taking his tally to two goals in five appearances against the Orange and Blue.

Along with Santiago Rodriguez, either Martinez (nine) or his Uruguayan team-mate (five) have scored 14 of NYCFC's 21 goals in the regular season and playoffs since MLS returned from the Leagues Cup break in August.

MATCH PREDICTION: FC CINCINNATI WIN

Cincinnati's 3-1 defeat in Game 2 was the fifth time they conceded multiple goals in their last seven matches dating back to the end of the regular season.

They are winless when allowing multiple goals in that time (D1 L4) while winning both matches in which they held their opponent under two goals.

NYCFC have won only one of their last 14 away matches in all competitions dating back to late May (D6 L7). Overall, they have won just five out of 40 away matches in all competitions since the start of last season (D15 L20).

The Pigeons' win over Cincinnati last Saturday was their second win of the season over Noonan's side, both coming at home. Cincinnati have won their last five home matches against NYCFC in all competitions, though, including a 1-0 victory in Game 1 of their best-of-three series.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

FC Cincinnati – 50%

Draw – 25.3%

NYCFC – 24.7%

Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique confirmed he will rotate his squad for their trip to the Stade Raymond Kopa to face Angers in Ligue 1 on Saturday. 

The Parisiens' stuttering start to their Champions League continued in midweek, losing late on to Atletico Madrid to leave them 25th in the new 36-team league table. 

PSG have lost five of their last eight games in the Champions League (W2 D1), as many as in their previous 19 games in the competition. 

However, Luis Enrique's side have been impressive in the league and are currently six points clear of Marseille at the summit of the standings. 

They also boast an impressive record against this weekend's hosts, winning 19 of their 20 encounters in all competitions (D1) against Angers. 

"The most important match is tomorrow. Tomorrow, we'll rotate," Luis Enrique confirmed.

"I feel that with so little rest I need players. Angers are a highly motivated opponent who play at home.

"They can defend well and create problems in transition thanks to their wingers. I need all the players ready."

PSG will, however, be without William Pacho, who travelled to Ecuador on Thursday ahead of the international break and did not take part in Friday's training session. 

Luis Enrique also insisted there had been a "blockage in finishing" in their recent fixtures in Europe, though they have not been shy of goals in Ligue 1. 

In their midweek defeat, the Parisiens registered 22 shots compared to their opponents' four, ending the contest with an expected goals (xG) of 2.12 to Atletico's 0.67. 

However, PSG have scored a division-high 29 goals from their 10 games so far, and Luis Enrique is relishing the chance of rediscovering their clinical edge this weekend.

"After a match like Wednesday's, and I've been through others in my career, it's difficult. Emotions are going to absorb everything," he added. 

"The result will make you see everything in a negative light. 

"How am I feeling? Perfectly. The more difficult it is, the better. We're aware that there's a blockage in the finishing.

"There's no denying it, it's a general problem. We need to overcome that, through confidence, by trying to create clearer chances, and collectively.

"I know it's a medium to long term project, and there will be ups and downs."

October 14 was supposed to be a day for fans of Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz to show their support for the side during their Concacaf Nations League game against Honduras at the National Stadium in Kingston.

After witnessing a tame 0-0 draw, fans were content but that feeling soon switched to anger when a number of fans noticed that their cars had been broken into during the game.

A number of videos showcasing the extensive damage circulated on social media over the next several days, prompting many people to question the security arrangements at the Stadium.

The Reggae Boyz are set to host defending Concacaf Nations League champions USA in the first leg of their quarter-final at the same venue on Saturday so the obvious question is: what is being done to prevent this from happening again?

General Secretary of the Jamaica Football Federation, Dennis Chung, has assured fans that measures are indeed being put in place to prevent a repeat of that unfortunate incident.

“Independence Park Limited (IPL), the JFF and the Police have met and they are designating some places where police will protect the vehicles,” Chung said on a zoom call on Monday.

“Our intelligence was that the disruption of the vehicles was a direct sabotage so we’re going to designate certain places and we’re going to tell the public where it is safe to park,” he added.

A potential defense for Chung would’ve been that the break-ins occurred in a lot near the Stadium and not on the actual compound, meaning that technically, the JFF or IPL wouldn’t be responsible.

He rejected this notion, highlighting the responsibility for fans safety when attending a JFF event such as a Reggae Boyz fixture.

“It wasn’t on the stadium compound but we will ensure that there are places outside of the stadium compound where police will be designated to protect because it’s our event and, even if you park on the road, we think it’s our responsibility still to ensure that people feel safe when they get there,” he said.

Chung went on to add that the JFF has also tried to ensure the smooth flow of traffic to and from the stadium before and after games through discussions with the head of traffic.

Paulo Fonseca confirmed teenage forward Francesco Camarda will make his first Milan start in place of the injured Alvaro Morata against Cagliari.

Morata suffered a head injury in training on Thursday and was taken to hospital where an MRI was carried out, and while no damage was found, he will take no part in Saturday's away game.

"It was a strange situation, in an exercise yesterday he collided with [Strahinja] Pavlovic," Fonseca told reporters.

"Initially, I didn't think it was such a problem as it turned out to be, but he is not ready to play tomorrow. He's fine, but he's not ready."

Morata has, however, been selected in Spain's Nations League squad, with their manager Luis de la Fuente saying the player is fit, something which surprised Fonseca.

"I don't know why he said that. There is a protocol that says that a player must stop for 10 days," Fonseca added.

"I don't know how he can say that he plays. That is, it is not an option, it is a mandatory thing. I don't know how De la Fuente can do this."

With Morata, who has scored three goals in all competitions for Milan this season, unavailable, and Luka Jovic struggling for fitness, it was expected that Tammy Abraham would lead the line at Cagliari after recovering from a shoulder injury.

However, Fonseca revealed he had instead chosen the 16-year-old Camarda.

"Morata at the moment has a very specific role. Morata is not always a striker, but many times he is a player who unlocks the passing lines," said the 51-year-old.

"I think Camarda right now is more ready than Abraham to play this role."

Last season, Camarda became the youngest-ever player to appear in Serie A, coming on as a late substitute against Fiorentina in November at 15 years, eight months and 16 days old.

He then came on to replace Morata during Milan's 3-1 Champions League win over Club Brugge last month, where he thought he had scored his first goal for the club, but it was ruled offside, and now the youngster will get his first chance from the start.

"For me, it's not surprising. He works with us every day. I think everyone at the club believes in him a lot, he works well and understands the role well," Fonseca said.

"For me, players have no age, they have quality. And he shows every day that he has quality."