Germany's biggest clubs Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern Munich will kickstart their season on Saturday with the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup showdown at Signal Iduna Park (Westfalenstadion).
Once a regular fixture at this time of the year, this will be the first head-to-head meeting in the competition since 2021. Back in the days of COVID restrictions limiting attendances, the all-time top-scorer Robert Lewandowski scored a brace at his former homeground to seal a 3-1 victory for Julian Nagelsmann's side.
Bayern won the trophy for the 11th time last year with a narrow win away at Stuttgart on the occasion of the first final under the name of "Franz Beckenbauer Supercup". As for the hosts, four of their six trophies were achieved after wins over FC Bayern.
However, the Black and Yellows are unable to taste victory in this fixture since the arrival of Vincent Kompany. Both Bundesliga fixtures ended in stalemates in his first season before Bayern did the double over their biggest rivals for the first time since 2021/22.
The Rekordmeister ended their pre-season in excellent form, although Jamal Musiala's health scare dominated headlines. Meanwhile, Niko Kovac's men beat Premier League holders ***** nal before a comeback draw at home against AS Roma.

#bayern #season #supercup #fixture

Arsenal have been handed a boost ahead of their match against Coventry, as the Premier League new boys have lost one of their key players to injury.
Coventry know the challenge they will face when they step onto the pitch against defending champions ******* nal, so they will want all their best players available for the game. However, Frank Lampard will be without Haji Wright, who has been sidelined for several weeks because of injury.
The injury has come at an unfortunate time for Coventry, with Wright having scored 17 league goals for them last season as they secured promotion back to the top flight. He is therefore one of their key players and one of the stars who could have caused problems for ******* nal.
However, the Gunners can count themselves fortunate, as Lampard has confirmed that the American will not be fit for the match. Wright remains some distance away from being fit enough to play any fixture for the club, leaving Coventry without an important attacking option.
Lampard explained the severity of the injury ahead of Coventry's opening game of the season against ******* nal, making it clear that Wright's absence is likely to extend beyond this weekend.

#lampard #wright

Fantasy Premier League is back with the new FPL season kicking off this Friday. If you're still struggling with selection headaches, our writers have provided their pre-season predictions and tips for the 2026/27 campaign.
Harry Diamond: Joao Pedro (£7.5m). Fresh from a summer break, Pedro has scored seven goals in pre-season for Chelsea. A nailed-on starter for a team expected to improve significantly.
Ste McGovern: Bruno Fernandes (£12.5m). The Manchester United captain will drop off from last season's incredible performances, but you have to have him against Hull City away on the opening weekend.
Mohon Chanda: Erling Haaland (£15.5m); there's no way you ignore him in the first week based on the fixtures and form.
Harry Diamond: Erling Haaland. Is is really a question?

#harry #diamond #erling

Here is the latest team news, injury updates and predicted line-ups ahead of ****** nal's opening Premier League fixture of the new season.
Arsenal v Coventry team and injury news 6
Arsenal launch their Premier League ****** le defence against Coventry City at Emirates Stadium on Friday, with kick-off at 8pm BST, looking to build on their commanding 3-0 Community Shield victory over Manchester City.
Arteta remains without William Saliba, who is sidelined by a back injury, and Jurrien Timber, who continues his recovery from a groin problem.
As a result, Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera, Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori are expected to continue together across the back four after impressing in Cardiff.

#emirates

Jonathan Norbye has left RB Leipzig to join FK Haugesund. The 19-year-old has put pen to paper on a three-year deal with the Norwegian club.
Wishing you all the best for the future, Jonathan!
Discover more
FixturesRed Bull ArenaMen's first teamTicketsFan Zone

#discover

Spanish champions Barcelona have spent the summer strengthening different areas of their squad.
They have signed Rodri from Manchester City, which meant adding a Ballon d'Or winner and World Cup-winning captain to a midfield already packed with talent.
They have added pace and width in their attack with Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi, while Belgian winger Jesse Bisiwu, 18, has arrived as a longer-term investment.
But there is one notable gap - Barcelona do not have an established striker.
With their first La Liga fixture away to Elche on Sunday, 23 August, Hansi Flick's side could go through the campaign without a number nine if they do not sign a striker before the window shuts on 1 September.

#spanish

Birmingham open their home campaign having lost only three of their past 46 league games at St Andrew's with all those defeats coming on their return to the Championship last season.
Bristol City started life under Michael Skubala with a 2-0 home loss to Millwall and, coupled with their Carabao Cup exit to Walsall, are yet to score this season.
Birmingham City have won three of their past four home league games against Bristol City (D1), keeping a clean sheet in three of those matches which is as many as they managed across their prior 14 attempts combined.
Bristol City have lost eight of their past 13 away league games against Birmingham City (W3 D2), losing this exact fixture 2-1 last season at St Andrew's.
Following a 0-0 draw with Sheffield United on the opening day, Birmingham will be hoping to avoid failing to score in each of their first two league matches of a campaign since 2002-03 – losing 2-0 to ****** nal and 1-0 to Blackburn in the Premier League that season.

#bristol

The new European season begins only a few weeks after the World Cup, leaving many clubs with less preparation than usual. Some squads have barely changed. Others have spent heavily or reshaped key positions during the transfer window. Fitness is another unknown after a demanding international summer. Those differences often matter most before the table begins to settle. They also influence premier league betting, where early prices do not always keep pace with changes inside a squad.
The Premier League starts on 21 August, with ****** nal opening the season against Coventry City as defending champions.
Several clubs look noticeably different from last spring. Chelsea and Manchester City have invested heavily in midfield. Liverpool enter the campaign after parting with several long-serving players. ****** nal face a different challenge this time. Protecting first place usually brings more pressure than chasing it.
Preparation has not been equal across the league. Clubs with large World Cup contingents have had less time together, while others completed a much calmer pre-season. The gap may become visible during the first few rounds.
La Liga is expected to begin around 15 August. Real Madrid and Barcelona again dominate the ****** le discussion. Atlético Madrid remain close behind, while several clubs further down the table have strengthened without making major changes.Spain's international players return after a long summer, leaving little time before domestic football resumes. The opening fixtures should show which squads have settled quickest.

#World #arsenal #city #madrid

Paris St-Germain have been forced to move their opening Ligue 1 game after the summer's "exceptional heatwaves" left their Parc des Princes pitch "severely damaged".
The French champions had been due to start their ***** le defence against Rennes in the capital on Sunday, but the fixture will be reversed and held in Brittany instead.
Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) officials said an ***** sment of the pitch in Paris "did not allow the match to be played under satisfactory conditions, particularly with regard to the safety and physical integrity of the players".
PSG say they will replace the pitch at the Parc des Princes before their next home fixture against Monaco on 4 September.
The club said they "fully understand the inconvenience caused by this change" but stressed it was an "exceptional situation".

#pitch #french

Xabi Alonso is at Stamford Bridge with the Blues. Chelsea and Napoli are in contact over a potential transfer for striker Nicolas Jackson, according to Gianluca Di Marzio.
Napoli manager Max Allegri has made signing a new striker his top priority for the final weeks of the transfer window. Following Romelu Lukaku's permanent move to Fenerbahce, Napoli are keen to add depth and competition for Rasmus Hojlund. Alongside exploratory enquiries for ***** nal's Gabriel Jesus and Manchester United's Joshua Zirkzee, Jackson has emerged as a highly feasible and attractive option for the Partenopei.
Chelsea are open to selling the Senegal international, provided their steep valuation is met. Jackson spent the 2025/26 season on loan at German champions Bayern Munich, but they opted not to make the deal permanent. Since returning to West London, Jackson's place in Xabi Alonso's plans is uncertain, especially after being omitted from Chelsea's final pre-season fixtures.
With the Blues keen to trim their squad and generate funds, Chelsea have placed a £65 million price tag on the forward. Napoli's entry into the race could prove highly beneficial for the Blues, as it threatens to spark a genuine bidding war.
Atletico Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa have all monitored Jackson's situation this summer, but so far, interested parties have been reluctant to meet Chelsea's asking price.

#napoli #final #keen

TimesofIndia.com in Galle: The match was over. The formalities were completed, and both teams had already left the stadium. The broadcast crew was busy packing up for the next game, but the work was only getting started for Manjula and the 130 groundstaff at the Galle International Cricket Stadium. It rained immediately after the two teams completed their handshakes, but unlike the preceding week, there was no urgency to cover the square or the ground. Overseeing operations, Manjula stood on top of the advertising board and kept a close eye as the covers were neatly folded and parked after a week of intense activity.

Since India and Sri Lanka arrived in the coastal city for the series opener, rain has appeared frequently enough to keep Manjula and his team on their toes. Not all of them are employees of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). Only 16 are permanent staff in Galle, while 10 came from Hambantota to help with the international fixture. The remaining staff were hired as daily workers.

"We have 16 permanent employees and 10 come from Hambantota whenever an international match comes to Galle. For the rest, we hire daily workers for the duration of the match and practice sessions, and they are paid between 2,500 LKR and 4,000 LKR per day for the work," says Manjula.
From anticipation to execution, the groundstaff stuck to their methods and ensured there was no chaos, even during a heavy downpour. The average time they take to cover the entire ground is less than five minutes, and they work quickly depending on the situation. They look for cues, observe the cloud behaviour and are always staring towards the Indian Ocean near the Galle Fort.

"We keep our eyes there," he says, pointing towards the ocean near the fort. "When clouds start building up, we know it's coming. Then we are ready and wait for the official signal to start covering the pitch, square, run-up and then the entire ground. That's the order we follow."

"The reaction time is very important," he adds.
When the groundstaff run from all directions, dragging the covers, the synchronised effort is a sight. The first batch, covering the pitch and square, times their runs so there is no overlapping, and speed cannot be compromised because the run-up and the remainder of the field must be covered next. These are anything but light covers, and a 100x100 piece can weigh over 650 kg. Add to this the challenges of wind and rain.

"These are not light," Manjula says with a laugh. "They are well over 650 kg each for a 100x100 piece, and there are about 28 pieces we have to cover the entire ground and ensure no damage is done to the outfield."
While the covers are heavy enough to stay grounded on their own, heavy crosswinds present a challenge, and the next step is to carefully place heavy rubber tyres to keep the covers in place. More than 300 tyres are ready to be rolled onto the ground the moment rain arrives.

"We keep these tyres over the covers because, as you have seen, it does

Size isn't everything in China's IPO markets.

Unitree, perhaps China's most famous humanoid robotics maker, is in the middle of an initial public offering on Shanghai's STAR market, the city's board for tech startups, with a trading debut expected for this week. Then, later this week, the fast-fashion platform Shein will reportedly start its own IPO in Hong Kong, with shares potentially debuting as soon as Aug. 28, according to Reuters.
Shein's IPO dwarfs Unitree's, with the fast fashion giant hoping to raise as much as $3 billion, roughly three times what Unitree is targeting. And yet Unitree's IPO is getting most of the attention: Retail investors are scrambling to buy into the company, and secondary markets are predicting a massive jump in valuation after the startup's debut.
Unitree may be smaller and younger compared to Shein, which has a decade of global expansion under its belt. But in the eyes of investors, the robot maker is the more exciting bet, as appetites shift to AI and hardware, and away from e-commerce and internet platforms.
Unitree, founded by ***** Xingxing in 2016, has become a fixture in China's pop culture, thanks to its robots' dance routines at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, China's most-watched television broadcast.
Unitree is raising 6.1 billion Chinese yuan ($904 million) in its IPO, at a market valuation of around $9 billion. The company claimed last week that the retail portion of its offering was more than 8,000 times oversubscribed.

#maker

Hayden Panettiere's death this week, just five days before her 37th birthday, marks the latest tragic end for a child star. In recent months, Panettiere had become more transparent about the trauma, including **** ual exploitation, she endured as a young actress. The timing of her death is tragic both in light of her age and how recently she appeared to have been winning her fight against addiction. Her efforts to reclaim her autonomy should be acknowledged for what she overcame — and for what fame does to child stars.
Panettiere began appearing in commercials at just 11 months old; by age 5, she'd been in 50. Her breakout role came at age 10, playing a coach's spirited daughter in "Remember the **** ans." Her multiseason portrayals of an indestructible cheerleader on the television series "Heroes" and a troubled country music star on ABC's "Nashville" made her a cultural fixture to millennials.
For decades, the autonomy, safety and happiness of child stars were not a priority for insatiable audiences nor the Hollywood industrial complex. If Panettiere's accounts are any guide, they still aren't.
Off set, however, Panettiere struggled at basically every turn: with an onerous mother, from whom Panettiere was estranged for much of her adult life; drug addiction; alcoholism; depression; and multiple rehab stints. She had relationships with men 10 or more years older than her. She was plied with pills at 15, she revealed this year. Her child custody battle was just one of many traumas dissected in tabloid headlines.
This spring, Panettiere published a memoir, "This Is Me: A Reckoning," that is equal parts appalling and utterly sympathy-inducing. Panettiere bared all, describing her "shortcomings as a mother," her refusal to "blame" anyone else and her grief "for all the hours lost to addiction." The media campaign for the book pulled no punches. Panettiere gave audiences the one thing she refused to further compromise: truth.

#panettiere

Botafogo announces that Franclim Carvalho is no longer the head coach of the first-team football squad. The decision was communicated to the professional this Tuesday (18). **** istants Luís Felipe and Mauro Moderno, fitness coach Fábio Monteiro, and goalkeeping coach Ricardo Matos are also leaving the Club.
Botafogo thanks Franclim and the other professionals for their services and wishes them success in their next challenges.
Rodrigo Bellão, the current head coach of the Under-20 team, will take charge of the team on an interim basis and will lead it in the next fixture, against Cienciano, in the second leg of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana round of 16.
Additionally, Botafogo will put in place a new structure for its permanent coaching staff. Paulo Bonamigo, a professional with extensive experience in Brazilian football who managed Botafogo in 2004, takes over as Technical Coordinator.
Ronaldo Torres, a fitness coach with successful spells in Brazilian football, including Brazilian Championship **** les with Botafogo in 1995 and with Fluminense in 2010, will be responsible for Physical Preparation.

#botafogo #head #Fitness

It has been revealed that Jeremy Doku sustained a calf injury as Manchester City fell to a disappointing 3-0 defeat to ******* nal in the FA Community Shield. Belgian publication Nieuwsblad reports that Doku will miss Manchester City's first Premier League fixture of the 2026-27 season against Bournemouth due to the injury he sustained. It is also expected that Doku will face a delayed start to the new season. Enzo Maresca will have to find a solution to the issue that Doku's absence creates against Bournemouth. However, the solution does seem obvious.
If Jeremy Doku were fully fit, it would be expected that he'd start on the left wing for Manchester City against Bournemouth. Antoine ******* yo would likely start on the right. With Doku ruled out of the match, it would be expected that ******* yo would move over to the left wing. That would open up a spot on the right wing.
Looking at the options that Enzo Maresca can use on the right wing against Bournemouth, Rayan Cherki is the clear standout. Cherki played on the right wing last season and he drifts out there when playing through the middle. Enzo Maresca's side relies on creativity from out wide to create chances. Cherki is by far and away the obvious player to slot in on the right wing to allow ******* yo to play on the left wing to cater for Jeremy Doku's absence against Bournemouth. In fact, it is such an obvious solution to the issue Maresca faces with Jeremy Doku injured that it would be a major surprise if he went in another direction.
One option that Maresca may consider is playing Rayan Ait-Nouri on the left wing with ******* yo on the right. Ait-Nouri did play on the left wing throughout Manchester City's preseason tour of Asia and he did score two goals. So that idea could be in play. Savinho is unlikely to feature due to illness and his desire for a summer transfer. At this point, he is likely not an option for Enzo Maresca to consider. It would be a shock if Jack Grealish started against Bournemouth.
However, having considered the possibility of Rayan Ait-Nouri starting on the left wing, that option wouldn't offer the threat of Rayan Cherki on the right wing and ******* yo on the left. The solution to Doku's absence through injury this weekend seems obvious. It will be interesting to see if Maresca chooses that option or has another up his sleeve with the squad he has available for Manchester City's opening Premier League fixture against Bournemouth.

#wing #doku #maresca #right

After a blistering start to their domestic season, Celtic will begin their Champions League campaign on Wednesday night by hosting LASK in the first leg of the play-off round. The spirit must be high in the camp after the weekend's thumping 4-0 League Cup win at Tannadice Park against Dundee United. But the Austrian heavyweights, who won their first league ****** le in 61 years, would be more resolute in deep defence.
Meanwhile, the LASK boss Dietmar Kühbauer considers the home side favourites for this European encounter. However, he calls for a balanced and proactive performance in Glasgow rather than a purely defensive approach, and this midweek contest would be a tactical battle between two domestic champions in their first-ever competitive meeting for a lucrative league-phase spot in this coveted tournament.
The Hoops are weighing up a move for another goalkeeper. But they are not in a rush, thanks to Viljami Sinisalo's command and composure ever since replacing the injured Kasper Schmeichel between the sticks earlier this year.
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – JULY 25: Cameron Carter-Vickers of Celtic making a pass during Celtic v AC Milan in a pre-season friendly at Celtic Park on July 25, 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty Images)
Alistair Johnston's injury is a massive blow, and the gaffer Martin O'Neill is likely to rely on Colby Donovan down the right, having preferred him over Anthony Ralston in recent fixtures. Liam Scales got the nod against the Tangerines as a left fullback, but could make way for Kieran Tierney, who remains the preferred choice for his flair, finesse and trademark crosses. The USMNT duo Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty should continue as the first-team central defensive pairing.

#league #lask #park

Danny Kanell and Dusty Dvoracek's SiriusXM show is ending, but both are getting fresh starts on the satellite radio platform.
According to On3's Brett McMurphy, Dusty and Danny In The Morning is ending its five-year run on Friday. However, neither host is leaving. Kanell will remain in the morning time slot and be paired with a new co-host, while Dvoracek moves to the afternoon slot. Per McMurphy, the move is due to Dvoracek's need for greater flexibility due to an increased role at ESPN.
Dvoracek has been seeing his star continually rise in recent years as a college football broadcaster with the Worldwide Leader. He's also become a fixture on SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt. He's become one of the top college football **** ysts at ESPN, where he even called a College Football Playoff game in 2024. Awful Announcing readers put him and Dave Pasch at No. 5 overall in our most recent college football rankings.
Kanell spent several years at ESPN before joining SiriusXM. He's also an **** yst for CBS Sports and a co-host of the Cover 3 podcast. The former Florida State quarterback has developed a reputation for his strong ACC bias and hatred of all things SEC.
The post Danny Kanell, Dusty Dvoracek reportedly ending SiriusXM show appeared first on Awful Announcing.

#college #dvoracek #ending

Martin O'Neill's side will make the trip to Ibrox for a 12pm kick-off, with Premier Sports broadcasting the Glasgow derby live.
The Hoops booked their place in the last eight with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Dundee United at Tannadice on Saturday.
Goals from Auston Trusty, Camilo Duran, Sebastian Tounekti and Benjamin Nygren sealed Celtic's progression before they were handed an away tie against Rangers in the quarter-final draw.
The fixture will now form the first half of a huge derby double-header for Celtic.
O'Neill's side welcome Rangers to Celtic Park in the Scottish Premiership just seven days later on Sunday, September 20.

#side

Berlin is still a long way away. The first step for RBL leads to the banks of the Moselle. On Saturday (18:00 CEST), RB Leipzig will face off against Eintracht Trier in the first competitive fixture of the 2026/27 season. For the Red Bulls, it will be the start of a tournament that has produced a number of stories that will never be forgotten in Leipzig.
On the other hand, our hosts also know exactly what a fairytale run in the cup feels like.
Here are five things you need to know ahead of our encounter with Eintracht Trier.
We can't wait for the next DFB-Pokal campaign! After all, the past few years have shown that RBL and the DFB-Pokal are a match made in heaven.
Over eight seasons, the Red Bulls have reached the quarter-finals on six occasions. The journey has continued all the way to Berlin four times, and RBL lifted the trophy in 2022 and 2023.

#trier #first #know #saturday

Returning to Boston, a Motivated Connor Clifton Looks to Bolster Bruins' Defense originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The last two seasons for the Bruins have seen the team miss the playoffs or lose in the first round. Something was needed to give the team a spark. How about the return of an old teammate?
After a run with the Sabres and Penguins, Connor Clifton looks to once again create chaos with the Bruins, a team he spent his first five seasons with, signing a two-year contract with a $2.25 million cap hit.
The defenseman from New Jersey, a member of the ECAC All-Tournament Team at Quinnipiac, joined the Providence Bruins in 2017 before signing an entry-level deal with the Bruins in 2018. A fixture on the third defense pairing, Clifton became a menace on the ice in the early 2020s.
In those five seasons in Boston, Clifton had 10 goals and 33 **** ists. He accumulated a career-high 23 points during the 2022-23 season, during which he led the Bruins in hits (208). Clifton led the Penguins with 180 hits last season.

#bruins #connor

The new season is just around the corner and the transfer market is heating up. Serie A 2026/27 officially kicks off on Saturday with the opening round of fixtures, which will wrap up on Monday night, while negotiations continue to deliver twists and turns, with Italian clubs busy both in incoming and outgoing deals.
Watch the entire Serie BKT live with LaB Channel on OneFootball: subscribe for just €9.99 per month!
With exactly two weeks to go until the summer window closes, clubs are still working to hand their respective coaches new additions ahead of the upcoming season. Let's take a look at the most important updates of the day involving Serie A's top clubs.
Franck Kessié's future is still far from decided. The Ivorian midfielder has firmly ended up in Al-Ittihad's sights, with the club ready to convince him with a particularly significant financial offer. The former Milan man, however, has not yet made up his mind and is still considering the possibility of returning to Serie A.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Kessié is stalling because he wants to wait for Juventus before making a decision. The Bianconeri are keeping contacts with his entourage alive, but the main issue remains his salary, which the Ivorian would have to lower to help make the deal happen. In the meantime, Al-Ittihad continue to push in an attempt to get it over the line.

#season

The finale in the battle for the **** le! On the last matchday of the 2022/23 FLYERALARM Women's Bundesliga season, FC Bayern Women have the club's fifth German championship in their hands ahead of the meeting with 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam at the FC Bayern Campus on Sunday 28 May. The **** le showdown kicks off at 14:00 CEST. The state of play, pre-match quotes, team news – it's all in the preview.
After the 0-0 draw at Leverkusen last Saturday, Alexander Straus' side go into the final day with a two-point lead over VfL Wolfsburg. Their rivals claimed a last-minute win at SV Meppen on Sunday to prevent FCB from clinching the **** le early, but now the Munich girls can wrap up the fifth Bundesliga **** le in the club's history with a home win over Potsdam. In the event of a draw or defeat, their inferior goal difference means they'll have to hope for a slip-up by the She-Wolves in their game against SC Freiburg.
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Potsdam's relegation from the Women's Bundesliga has been confirmed since Matchday 20. The Brandenburg outfit lost 3-0 to Eintracht Frankfurt last time out, their fourth straight defeat. That said, after collecting just one point in the first half of the season, there has been an improvement in the second half of the campaign from the team who are second in the all-time Women's Bundesliga standings. Sunday's match at the Campus will be Turbine's last in the German top flight for now after 29 successful years.
Bayern won 3-0 in the reverse fixture in Potsdam thanks to goals from Georgia Stanway, Lina Magull and Linda Dallmann. FCB have been by far the better team in the recent history of the fixture and are unbeaten in 12 games against Turbine (W9 D3). However, the all-time record is virtually even, with 21 wins for Munich, 22 for Potsdam and seven draws in their 50 meetings.

#bundesliga #last #title #team

Back to league business! Following the international break, FC Bayern Women are back in FLYERALARM Women's Bundesliga action this weekend with the rearranged fixture away to bottom-of-the-table 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam on Saturday 25 February. Kick-off at the Karl-Liebknecht Stadion is at 13:00 CET. From the state of play to the team news, our preview has all the info.
The match against Postdam was supposed to take place at the start of February, but a frozen pitch led to the game being postponed at short notice. After an international break of almost two and a half weeks, head coach Alexander Straus has had just two days to prepare his side for the meeting with the cellar dwellers. Nevertheless, Straus' charges travel to Brandenburg with momentum after the 2-1 victory over fellow **** le challengers Eintracht Frankfurt in the opening match of the second half of the season, their sixth straight win in the league.
Turbine Potsdam's record currently reads nine defeats and one draw. Having finished fourth last term and narrowly missed out on qualification for the Champions League, they face the threat of relegation to the second tier this year for the first time since 1994. Just before the original date for the meeting with Bayern, interim coach Sven Weigang stepped down, with previous **** istant coach Dirk Heinrichs taking charge of the team for the coming weeks. Their first two fixtures of the year have both been called off, meaning this is Potsdam's first competitive game since early December.
These two sides have come up against each other 44 times in the Women's Bundesliga, making it one of the most-played fixtures in the league. The stats are very close, with 19 wins for FCB, 18 for Potsdam and seven draws. The Brandenburg outfit haven't beaten Bayern since 2016, though, and last managed a draw in December 2021.
Along with long-term absentees Giulia Gwinn (cruciate ligament tear) and Jovana **** janović (muscle strain), Strauss is without the services of Sydney Lohmann, who returned home from international duty early due to a muscular problem. Goalkeeper Laura Benkarth will also not travel to Potsdam because of illness.

#first

Having been eliminated from the League Cup during the group stages and with this weekend's game against Hearts postponed due to their continental commitments, fixtures have been thin on the ground for Falkirk fans of late.
For some supporters, the wait to see the Bairns in action again will stretch even further.
When we resume the weekend after next, we'll be away at Celtic. It's obviously going to be a limited allocation for our support, but even those tickets are unlikely to be snapped up given they cost an eye-watering £37 for adult supporters.
If you're willing to settle for a restricted view, you can knock three quid off that.
It's not a surprise this fixture was boycotted by our supporters last season, and if the same happens again this time, you can't blame anyone for taking that stance.

#league #hearts #group #stages

Cardiff City boss Brian Barry-Murphy has urged patience with Rubin Colwill after the midfielder scored a late equaliser in Monday's 1-1 draw with Wrexham.
Colwill came off the bench to rescue a point for Cardiff, but Barry-Murphy admitted he may have introduced the 23-year-old earlier than planned given his limited training time.
The Wales international has only completed two days of training and will now be ***** sed ahead of Cardiff's next fixture against Derby.
"Rubin has only trained for two days, so I probably shouldn't have put him on as early as I did, but the way the game was going I felt we needed a bit of something different," Barry-Murphy said.
Colwill made an immediate impact after being introduced, finding the net late on with a stunning free-kick to ensure Cardiff avoided defeat against their Welsh rivals.

#colwill #rubin #training

It was, of course, inevitable that Test cricket's return to this parched England summer would bring with it the welcoming relief of rain. Seeking an end to a long dry spell? Well, scheduling a first men's international red-ball fixture for seven sun-soaked weeks has done the trick with an altogether spottier forecast for Headingley.
That drought has taken with it a coach and a captain, the dead-heading that felt inevitable after a barren winter postponed from spring to summer to bring about a regime change of curious timing. Already, one might suggest, a series has been squandered; the risk now for England is not letting another slip as they look to germinate and bed in a crop that it is hoped can be made to flourish with a little more careful nurturing.
A new-look England taken on Pakistan in the first Test at Headingley (PA)
Back to tend the garden in his own backyard is one of Yorkshire's own – though that would have been true had England landed on the other side of a choice of flawed options. It could be said, though, that Joe Root's perennial status as his side's man for a crisis has counted in his favour as he is tossed an unenviable duty once more. Having got the nod ahead of Harry Brook, Root has spoken well in his limited media dealings since being reappointed Test captain of learning from the mistakes and missteps of his first stint – both those of his own and from figures above him, who saddled their skipper with duties that reached beyond the remit of an already-challenging role during the Covid pandemic particularly.
Joe Root has been reinstalled as England Test captain ahead of Harry Brook (Getty)

#already

With both clubs finishing the previous season in mid-table and level on the same number of points, Derby County and Sunderland's 1951/1952 opener seemed like it could be an intriguing affair between two evenly matched sides.
It was the second season running that the Lads were facing the Rams in their first fixture and they went into the game hoping to repeat their 1-0 Roker Park victory of a year before.
In the meantime, the teams had also played out a cracker in December 1950 that ended with the hosts winning 6-5, giving Bill Murray's men a painful memory to avenge, whilst there was a friendly rivalry between ex-teammates to be considered as well, with former Sunderland man Ken Oliver coming up against his old pals including Tommy McLain, who he had first encountered when they served in the RAF together in Sri Lanka during World War II.
Oliver proved to be one of Derby's stronger performers in the end, although McLain came away the happiest, scoring what was to be his only goal in Sunderland colours — and a beauty at that.
Whereas it was a rare strike for the half-back, it was one of several in the match itself as another end-to-end affair ensued, and it brought the visitors level following a lightning start from County that had initially caught their opponents cold.

#county

Russell Westbrook, one of the NBA's biggest style icons and a catalyst for transforming the pregame tunnel into a fixture of the modern NBA, has retired.
Why not? That's the mantra that Russell Westbrook lived by in all aspects of his NBA career. When you saw him lift off for what seems like an improbable dunk or drive to the paint through a sea of defenders, why not? When he walked the pregame tunnel in a cream poncho with brown stripes and a pork pie hat that looks like he stole it from Walter White's closet, why not?
"It's how I live my life. It's how I operate. Whenever there's any type of indecision, I have an easy answer, and it's just strictly, 'Why not?'" Westbrook told Complex in a 2023 interview. "If I'm getting dressed, or designing, or trying to create pieces, and I don't love it right away, I'll just be like, ' f**k it. Why not? Let's just do it.'"
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When Westbrook's career started back in 2008, the late David Stern's strict NBA dress code was still in place. Players were required to wear suits to games, a decree largely believed to be brought about to curb another fashion icon, Allen Iverson, from wearing 4XL throwback jerseys and baggy sweatsuits. For the first four years, Westbrook stuck to the dress code. His biggest "risk" was a cardigan with gray stripes. But by 2012, he was finding his lane. He wasn't quiet in his "distressed band T-shirt and construction vests" era yet, but he was experimenting more. During the 2012 NBA Finals between the OKC Thunder and Miami Heat, he rocked a white Lacoste polo covered in colorful fishing lures and lensless red glasses. A year later, at All-Star Weekend, he spruced up a brown blazer and a gray/black striped tie with duck camo pants and a yellow belt to go with his "Tokyo" Air Jordan 5s. It barely matched, but it followed the dress code guidelines and stood out, especially since the rest of the league was still rocking more GQ-friendly fits of tailored suits and slim-fitting sweaters over ******* on-ups.

#like #dress #biggest #tunnel

There's real uncertainty over Liverpool's next move as it's confirmed that they're not in talks with a World Cup star.
Liverpool have not planned their midfield correctly, I think that's fair to say. There's massive uncertainty over what it'll look like going forward, made worse by the fact it's not particularly balanced.
They have, of course, locked down Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai to long-term deals. The pair of them will play the foreseeable future at Anfield. Trey Nyoni looks like a long-term fixture, too, even if he'll need a better contract before confirming that.
Curtis Jones, though? Who knows what's happening there. His deal expires in under a year and there's next to no impression that he'll be signing a new one. We fully expect him to depart either in the coming weeks or in 2027.
And then there's Alexis Mac Allister. Talk around Mac Allister's contract has been conspicuously absent in light of the other 2023 arrivals getting deals. It's created a lot of speculation that he could be on his way, either now or in 2027.

#uncertainty #next #term

The clock is ticking loudly at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp at St. Vincent College, and second-year running back Kaleb Johnson may already be running out of time.
Selected in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Iowa, Johnson was once viewed as a potential future fixture in Pittsburgh's backfield. However, as training camp practice number 13 wrapped up on Sunday, the 23-year-old found himself buried on the depth chart, not just behind proven starters Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle, but behind journeymen and practice-squad regulars.
In Pittsburgh's preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers, Johnson saw minimal work, logging just two carries for three yards. Instead, backup snaps went to NFL veteran Travis Homer and second-year back Lew Nichols.
Steelers reporter Christopher Carter shared his hopes that the low volume was merely part of an early-preseason rotation on his "Locked on Steelers" podcast. However, he added that his hopes had quickly faded during team periods in Latrobe.
"Kaleb Johnson really didn't see any action. He saw I think what two, five snaps overall. He get two carries for three yards. He was out there after Travis Homer and after Lew Nichols," noted Carter.

#homer #carter