Michael Carrick enjoyed Manchester United's perfect Champions League return against Sabah but is "pushing for more" with tougher tests around the corner.
Thursday night saw Old Trafford host a first match in European football's premier competition since December 2023 as the Red Devils faced a club that were only founded nine years ago.
United ran out comfortable 4-0 victors against Sabah, the champions of Azerbaijan, with Matheus Cunha, Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Sesko scoring first-half goals.
Lisandro Martinez tapped home to complete a blemish-free start to the league phase for Carrick's men, who recorded their first clean sheet of the season having made a topsy-turvy start to the Premier League.
Asked if Thursday was the perfect way to kick off their long-awaited Champions League return, the United head coach said: "Yeah, I think so.

#first #premier #return #start

According to the latest predictions from the Opta Super Computer, Inter are looking at a potential quarter-final finish in the 2026-27 Champions League and Roma, Napoli and Como are expected to make it through the league phase. Take a look at the latest predictions below!
The 2026-27 Champions League campaign gets underway on Tuesday evening, including a blockbuster clash between Jose Mourinho and his 15-time winners Real Madrid and the reigning Serie A and Coppa Italia champions Inter.
MILAN, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 05: Lautaro Martinez of Internazionale celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and SSC Napoli at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on September 05, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)
According to the latest predictions from the Opta ******* yst, which has simulated the 2026-27 Champions League 10,000 times, Inter are the strongest of the Italian sides in the competition and are currently projected to finish among the top eight or nine sides in the competition.
For reference, last season's Opta Predictions had Liverpool as the overall favourites to win the 2025-26 Champions League. Actual victors Paris Saint-Germain were the third-favourites and runners-up ******* nal were correctly predicted as the second-most likely side to win it.

#league #latest

The cost of holding ETFs has fallen for years amid an intense fee war among issuers. Single-digit expense ratios are commonplace now, and in some cases even those look expensive, like the 0.09% charged by the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY), triple what some competitors charge for the same exposure.
All this is unequivocally great news for investors, but for ETF issuers, not so much. As expense ratios drop, so do the revenues those funds generate, and in most cases, there is little issuers can do about it. Failing to lower fees can lead to hefty outflows, as cost-conscious investors and fiduciary-bound advisors gravitate to cheaper funds.
Case in point: SPY has lost a lot of ****** ets over the years to the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) and the iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV), two cheaper funds tracking the same index. VOO has since grown into the largest ETF in the world, at more than $1 trillion in AUM.
Even in a price war, the victors take hits. The cheapest ETFs may gather the most ****** ets, but that is often more than offset by the decline in fees. On the list of the biggest ETF cash cows, only a handful of funds are ultra-cheap. Many more are expensive by ETF standards.
The table below lists the 20 ETFs with the highest implied revenue, an approximation of how much money a fund generates for its issuer, derived by multiplying ****** ets under management by the expense ratio.

#funds

Glentoran were the comfortable 3-1 victors over Linfield at the Oval in the first round of the County Antrim Shield, while holders Carrick Rangers exited after being defeated by Crusaders after a penalty shootout.
Jordan Jenkins struck twice inside the opening six minutes to hand the home side a dream start in east Belfast before Charlie Chapman's early second-half strike threatened a Linfield fightback.
The Blues could not find a way back level after Cal Weatherup restored the home side's two-goal advantage.
At Seaview, Jacob Blaney and Owen Wardell gave the Crues a comfortable lead before an impressive final five minutes from the holders forced the tie to be decided on penalties.
However, Declan Caddell's side were the 5-4 victors in the penalty shootout to book their spot in the next round.

#victors #home #side

South Africa and New Zealand collide in the first of four huge Tests in the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series.
The All Blacks have won all three of their warm-up games since arriving in South Africa, and now take on a Springboks side that beat them in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final.
Rassie Erasmus' world champions are unbeaten in their last 12 matches and were narrow victors in the pair's last encounter at Ellis Park.
Another blockbuster encounter could be in store as the landmark series launches in style.
Here's everything you need to know.

#south #africa #series

Real Madrid head coach José Mourinho has revealed exactly how he suffered the black eye which he was spotted sporting on the touchline on Sunday.
Mourinho's Real were back in action a short time ago, locking horns with German outfit Schalke amid ongoing preparations for the new La Liga campaign.
When all was said and done, Los Blancos emerged comfortable victors, by three goals to nil. This kept alive what has been a fine pre-season to date for the capital club under the watch of their new manager.
Speaking to the media post-match this evening, though, it was the subject of his personal appearance which was put to Mourinho himself. As alluded to above, the Portuguese tactician was sporting a 'shiner' whilst on the bench at Veltins-Arena.
And asked how he suffered the blow, Mourinho went on to explain:

#sunday #schalke #liga

Irish Premiership
Linfield 2 - 1 Glentoran FT
Linfield bounced back from their opening weekend disappointment and were the 2-1 victors over Glentoran at Windsor Park to secure the bragging rights in the 'Big Two' derby.
Darragh Leahy nodded home a corner to give the Blues an early lead before Kirk Millar doubled their advantage on 78 minutes.
Jordan Stewart pulled a goal back for the Glens in the final minutes of the match before being sent off seconds later.

#glentoran #premiership

From scorching flames, trophies have been forged for an iconic race that will soon rise from the ashes and return to Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia Cycling Classic has not zipped through the city in a decade. But this year, it will return in triumphant fashion on Sunday, August 30, 2026.
Blacksmith and metal artist John Rais volunteered to design and donate the various trophies for this year's victors.
Categories include the sprinters, King of the Mountain, and the overall winner.
Rais, a cyclist himself, offered his time and talent during a conversation with Carlos Rogers, one of the minds behind the return of the race.

#trophies #race #classic

United States President Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino found themselves at the center of some controversy together at the FIFA World Cup. Now, as Infantino could be on the verge of losing his position, Trump has spoken out in his defense.
In a social media post on Monday, Trump warned that it would be a "terrible mistake" to replace Infantino as FIFA's president.
Throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Trump and the United States have faced some heavy criticism for a wide variety of reasons.
Fans have expressed frustration at FIFA's decision to allow Trump to hand the trophy to the victors following the World Cup Final, the treatment of Iranian players throughout the tournament, Africa's top referee being denied entry into the country, the Americanization of the sport with commercials during "hydration breaks," an extended Super Bowl style halftime show at the final, and championship rings, and most notably, Trump's involvement in getting the red card suspension to Folarin Balogun overturned.
The Balogun red card situation in particular sparked such widespread outrage throughout the international soccer community. As a result of these controversies, Trump was loudly booed by fans on multiple occasions during his appearance at the match on Sunday, and it sounds like Ceferin refused to attend the game altogether.

#balogun

The Maine state champions scored eight runs in the first inning, which proved to be enough in a 10-6 victory over Portsmouth in an elimination game on Sunday at the New England Little League Baseball Regional in Bristol, Connecticut.
Portsmouth, which beat Bedford for the New Hampshire state ***** le, finished 0-2 in the double-elimination tournament after falling to Vermont on Saturday. The Maine team (1-1), with boys from Gray, New Gloucester and Raymond, advanced to another elimination game on Tuesday.
On Sunday, Portsmouth rallied after falling into an 8-0 hole. Held to one hit (a single by Gabe Fournier) through three innings, the Seacoast boys scored six runs in the fourth, highlighted by two-run doubles by Drew Cresta and Ryan Poulin. Ryder Raizes also delivered an RBI single.
But Maine held on from there, plating two insurance runs in the fifth off Cresta, who relieved starter Raizes in the first inning and held Maine down until the fifth. At the plate, Cresta finished 2-for-2 with a walk.
On Saturday, Portsmouth fell to Richmond, Vermont (Camel's Hump Little League), 1-0. Mickey Brown pitched a two-hitter for the victors. Bennett Smith was effective for Portsmouth, working 4 1/3 innings and allowing the one run on three hits.

#cresta #little #league

Editor's note: As mentioned in the match report yesterday, in a departure from our usual structure I've elaborated on some talking points based on observations I made at the ground as well as a match report; as such, I've done some deeper ******* ysis rather than the high-level talking points we might typically cover.
A fascinating encounter last night in Sydney saw Tottenham Hotspur come out the victors in their latest preseason hit-out against Sydney FC. With Roberto De Zerbi naming a stronger side than the one he selected against Auckland FC, Spurs started on the front foot and looked much the better side, without being able to convert that dominance into goals, with an excellent Mathys Tel free kick Spurs' lone goal. Following Sydney FC equalizing in the second half, the match went to penalties where Spurs held their nerve to win the shootout 2-4, with Joe Lacey hitting the post and Martin Dubravka saving Alexandar Popovic's attempt.
Here's a deep dive into a few things I took away from Spurs' latest preseason fixture.
In preseason, it's always hard to determine tactically what exactly is due to managerial instructions, the opposition, the players on the pitch, or a combination of all three. What was clear though was that Spurs were very much operating in an asymmetrical nature in a variation to their typical 4-2-3-1.
The midfield was clearly set up as a two, with Conor Gallagher in front of Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray as a #10 ; however, Gallagher often was dropping back to link play and Bergvall routinely pushed forward, as well as at times moving out into wide areas while Solomon at times tucked in. This at times left Gray as the sole holding role.

#preseason #times #i 've #gallagher

The Seattle Seahawks shouldn't have to squeeze back into the spotlight.
That ****** e typically would be reserved for the defending Super Bowl champion throughout the offseason. In Seattle's case, however, gazes began to stray not long after Mike Macdonald and Co. got their hands on the Lombardi Trophy.
The Seahawks were, without question, compelling victors. Their systematic dismantling of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 60 was a fitting capstone to a campaign that eradicated all doubt as to who was the NFL's strongest outfit by season's end.
But it wasn't long before a group known for its lack of braggadocio – and perhaps star power – became somewhat of an afterthought.
As the organization's veterans report for training camp on Friday, July 24, the Seahawks begin preparation for their ****** le defense with a diminished level of buzz. Despite last season's accomplishments, Seattle doesn't stoke comparable offseason intrigue to the Los Angeles Rams, who might have secured their place as the focal point of the NFC West – and perhaps the league at large – with their acquisition of Myles Garrett. And as the Patriots also begin work the same day in preparation for the season-opening Super Bowl rematch, New England clearly is on track to command more attention after the addition of A.J. Brown.

#Seattle #offseason #perhaps

Image: Ben Duffy/Sherdog.com illustration
We at Sherdog provide regular, in-depth preview coverage for allmajor events, including our oft-praised preview column along withour "Sheehan Show" handling all sorts of related matters includingbetting. With those official sources for picks handled, we wouldlike to take the edge off here and get a bit lighter with ourbreakdowns.

The industry of sports betting is exploding before our very eyes,with billions of dollars pumping in since legalization stateside.Oftentimes, those driving the lines are right on the money withtheir openings, valuations and ****** yses. Occasionally they are wayoff, or otherwise merit some additional conversation. That is wherewe come in with this reinvigorated series of Prime Picks, where,stealing a line from game show host Sam Reich, we hold hands andjump into the abyss together for Saturday morning's Ultimate Fighting Championship's jaunt toAbu Dhabi. Try it out.
MagomedAnkalaev (-575)
MagomedZaynukov (-290)
MagomedTuchalov (-900)

We admit, we're getting away with a technicality here by notincluding MuhammadSaid in our same-name parlay. After all, Magomed is the Russiantransliteration of Muhammad. Also, good luck trying to search thename "Muhammad Said" without any additional qualifiers and stillgarner any information about the fighter of that namesake. All ofthese Magomeds are rightful favorites, and in the case of two ofthe more expected victors of Tuchalov and Ankalaev, moneyline betsare just not worth it.

Therefore, we pair these three gents together, all of whom haveclear paths to victory against foes who have displayed exploitableweaknesses. Some are giving BogdanGuskov a proverbial "puncher's chance" to win this fight,although he might have some surprise jiu-jitsu in his back pocket.Nevertheless, unless Ankalaev chooses to take things horizontal—heis not nearly as keen on doing this despite his reputation, onlydoing so in his first triumphant meeting against AlexPereira. Against "Poatan," he did attempt a clean dozen shots.While he did not land a single one, the mere threat of the takedownallowed him to get in on the stoic striker and do some work. A fewfaked shots against "Hitman," whose takedown defense has alreadycome into question despite his recent successes, would payimmediate dividends.

We get to the meat of the order. More specifically, the pork. JohnPork. "Wild Chanco" Zaynukov, who actually had his nickname onFight Finder as "John Pork" until specifically reaching out torequest that it be taken down. RobertWhittaker didn't have the same problem when Ben Fowlkes andChad Dundas first crowned him "Bobby Knuckles" in the always-great"Co-Main Event Podcast" and it stuck. Even though DamianRzepecki will hold a slight bit more experience and morestoppages on his ledger, he and Zaynukov stand at differentterraces in their respective careers.

To get signed through the promotion, the Dagestan native in thepipeline of the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov School

Derry City have to overcome a one-goal deficit in the second leg of their Conference League second qualifying round tie as Rijeka were 1-0 victors against the Candystripes in Croatia.
The sides were goalless at the break after the hosts dominated the ball, before Michael Duffy's late effort almost had the visitors ahead.
Croatia international Toni Fruk, fresh home from the World Cup, broke the dead-lock on 52 minutes with what proved to be the winner, punishing a lapse of concentration in the Derry defence.
Tiernan Lynch's side will now host the Croatian side at the Brandywell on 30 July.
The home side dominated for the majority of the first half without really troubling Brian Maher in the Derry City goal.

#croatia #goal #dominated

What went wrong for USMNT? Americans come out flat in Round of 16 loss to Belgium originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The USMNT saw its dreams of World Cup glory — or a lengthier trek than usual through the tournament — brought to a screeching halt courtesy of Belgium, who emerged as 4-1 victors in their Round of 16 clash.
Mauricio Pochettino's side entered the match in fine form, having looked to be one of the competition's standouts during the group stage. The Belgians, meanwhile, limped through pool play before rallying back to claim an extra time win over Senegal after being outclassed for almost the whole of regulation.
The stage was set for a splendid USMNT outing, especially after star striker Folarin Balogun saw his one-game red card ban suspended following Donald Trump's interventon.
Instead, the U.S. was left to rue what could have been. A Belgian team bereft of A-grade superstars cut down the USMNT one match short of what would of been its joint-best performance in a World Cup in the past 92 years.

After a red-hot month of May for Michigan football recruiting, June has been relatively quiet.
That changed Thursday, June 18, when four-star class of 2027 edge Ifeanyi Emedobi pledged to join the Wolverines. The Fort Wayne, Indiana product, out of Northrop High School, chose U-M over Minnesota − he also held offers from seven other Big Ten programs.
RELATED: Michigan football knows NIL money is name of game − and feels ready
Emedobi, who stands 6-foot-1½ and 210 pounds, is the No. 10 player in Indiana, the No. 36 edge in the country and the No. 410 recruit among all rising seniors according to 247Sports' composite rankings.
He was already scheduled to visit Ann Arbor for "Victors Weekend" from June 19-21; if he follows through with that plan, it would likely be a chance to try and convince the handful of other key targets to join him as part of U-M's next crop.