List of All Articles with Tag 'f'

The Boston Celtics couldn't close out the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday in a pivotal Game 4 and the two teams return to Boston tied at two games a piece in the second round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.Boston has had issues this postseason closing out games, and the team went away from Jaylen Br...

Home teams are a perfect 4-0 in the Denver Nuggets-Phoenix Suns series in the Western Conference semifinals, and the series shifts back to Denver for Game 5 on Tuesday night.While I personally like Denver in this game, there are plenty of prop bets to choose from as well, especially with Nikola ...

In the main event of UFC 288 on Saturday, Aljamain Sterling made Henry Cejudo’s return to the ring an unhappy one, retaining the bantamweight title against the former champion. Sterling won a split decision against Cejudo, who was competing for the first time in three years, before facing off with rising star Sean O’Malley in the Octagon. In a welterweight co-main event, Belal Muhammad outpointed an injured Gilbert Burns, who was battling a shoulder issue, and earlier in the night, Yan Xiaonan scored a TKO win over ex-strawweight champion Jessica Andrade. Below, The Independent plays matchmaker for the protagonists of UFC 288. Aljamain Sterling vs Sean O’Malley This one takes care of itself, after Sterling and O’Malley faced off in the ring at the conclusion of UFC 288. O’Malley, who snatched a controversial decision win over former champion Petr Yan last time out, was expected to be next for Sterling anyway, and Saturday’s face-off only confirmed the UFC’s plan. The only other viable contender right now is Merab Dvalishvili (more on him shortly), but he is a teammate and good friend of Sterling, and the pair have vowed never to fight one another. Sterling’s profile does not yet match his impressive, grappling-centric skill set, but it would be boosted significantly if he were to clash with O’Malley – a slick striker and one of the fastest-rising stars in the UFC. Henry Cejudo vs Merab Dvalishvili Cejudo admitted after losing to Sterling that he did not know what would be next for him. His defeat put to bed machinations of reclaiming the bantamweight belt, which he vacated in 2020 after relinquishing the flyweight title, and moving up to featherweight to challenge for gold there. However, the Olympic gold-medalist wrestler quickly decided that he will not make a rapid return to retirement; the American took to Twitter to call out Dvalishvili, who keenly accepted the challenge. Cejudo expressed a desire to face the Georgian, who has won nine straight fights dating back to late 2018, in August, which would mark a quick turnaround. That might be just what Cejudo needs, however, to shed the little ring rust that he exhibited at UFC 288. Belal Muhammad vs Leon Edwards / Colby Covington Saturday’s bout between Muhammad and Gilbert Burns was billed as a No 1 contender’s fight at 170lbs, and the UFC should follow through with that. While champion Edwards is expected to face pantomime villain Colby Covington later this year, Muhammad should fight the winner of that contest – or even challenge Edwards in the near future, if the Covington fight is stalling. Muhammad has history with Edwards, having fought the Briton to a No Contest in 2021, when Edwards accidentally poked the Amerian in the eye. With the exception of that strange bout, Muhammad has won nine fights in a row since late 2019 and is fully deserving of a shot at gold. Most fans have not yet taken to the 34-year-old, but he has an unappreciated charisma, and he is improving quickly enough to suggest that he could find a way past Covington or put on a better showing against Edwards than he did in their first meeting. Yan Xianoan vs Zhang Weili Yan looked a step ahead of a reckless Jessica Andrade in every phase of their fight on Saturday, leading to a TKO win inside two-and-a-half minutes. It was just a second straight win for the Chinese fighter, who suffered back-to-back losses prior to her current streak, but Yan had won 13 fights in a row before that. Furthermore, her victory over former champion Andrade saw her shoot up from sixth to third in the strawweight rankings, and the fighters ahead of her are not due a title shot right now. A clash between Yan and compatriot Zhang, who holds the belt, would be huge for the UFC’s Chinese audience. Such a bout should take place next, and it should take place in China. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Aljamain Sterling retains title against returning Henry Cejudo at UFC 288 UFC's Tony Ferguson arrested following Hollywood crash UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year UFC’s Tony Ferguson arrested following Hollywood crash Aljamain Sterling retains title against returning Henry Cejudo at UFC 288 UFC 288 LIVE: Cejudo vs Sterling updates and results

Rodri and Pep Guardiola disagree over whether Man City's Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid is about 'revenge'.

James Ward-Prowse knows how bleak Southampton’s plight is after a 4-3 defeat at Nottingham Forest left them staring Premier League relegation in the face. Saints were on the wrong end of a seven-goal thriller at the City Ground which means they will lose their top-flight status if they fail to beat Fulham on Saturday or results elsewhere go against them. They were always in the game against Forest and looked dangerous in attack, but were let down by sloppy defending. “It hurts everybody,” the captain told the club’s official website. “It’s not just me, it’s everybody’s careers, it’s everybody’s opportunity to do something special for this club and it’s not just me, it hurts everybody, it hurts all the fans and everybody associated with the club. “It’s clear we have to win all of our games and that’s the position we find ourselves in. Like I said, every game has increased importance and the challenge hasn’t changed, we have to win our games and obviously hope everything goes our way and we have to focus on the next one now. “Games are won and lost at both ends of the pitch and when you give two goals away in the way that we did, and we scored three goals but it’s still not enough and I think that says a lot about where we are as a team at the minute. “It’s been too easy. Right from the first game against Spurs until now we’ve not really learned anything, not really progressed, we’ve just taken these results as they are and that’s the most disappointing thing. “When you keep doing the same thing and keep getting the same results, we’ve not learnt from it and that’s the frustrating thing.” Forest’s picture is much brighter after a second win in three games lifted them out of the bottom three. It was another impressive atmosphere at the City Ground, where Forest have now taken 27 of their 33 points this season. And boss Steve Cooper hailed the fans’ support. “We’re so lucky to play in front of these supporters as well,” Cooper said. “They don’t half drag us over the line when we need them. I’m just so glad they leave happy with the three points.” Forest looked scintillating in attack at times with Taiwo Awoniyi, Brennan Johnson, Morgan Gibbs-White and Danilo all combining with effect. Cooper added: “We showed great quality with the goals we scored. The first goal, in particular, was some of our technical, attacking, athletic players playing at their very best on that fast attack. “I’m really pleased with some of the attacking play and the goals. We didn’t cover ourselves in glory with the goals we conceded.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Chelsea could use Christian Pulisic ‘to lure’ Victor Osimhen On this day in 2013: David Moyes named as Sir Alex Ferguson’s Man Utd successor Jordan Spieth withdraws from Byron Nelson Classic ahead of PGA Championship

UFC fighter Tony Ferguson was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after his truck hit other vehicles and rolling over in Hollywood, California, on Sunday morning, the Los Angeles Police Department told CNN.

Tuesday's transfer news round-up includes updates on Lionel Messi's future decision, Jude Bellingham's contract offers, David de Gea's Man Utd standing and more.

JD Sports Fashion Plc is in exclusive talks to buy French chain Courir for an enterprise value of

Retail data released overnight provides a great insight into how consumers are reacting to higher prices: in short,

As Pep Guardiola sat down to begin working on the “Johan Cruyff box” that has only further released Erling Haaland in the last few weeks, one of the Catalan’s main concerns was the equation of marrying the Norwegian’s movement with maintaining control in the Champions League. They don’t always seem to fit. Even though he is now blessed with the best goalscorer in the world, “maintaining control in the Champions League’’ governs Guardiola’s thinking in almost everything, and has done for the last few seasons. The Catalan wouldn’t publicly admit that, of course, since he feels it feeds into an unhelpful public narrative about his “obsession” with the competition. That is precisely how senior figures at Manchester City have privately described it, though, and some feel it goes even further. They don’t just think Guardiola wants a third Champions League. They believe he wants the record for the most in history, as should befit someone viewed as perhaps the greatest coach of all time. There is also how much emotional energy he has put in, too. You only have to watch the footage of him theatrically crumpling to the ground as Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior tears down the wing after one minor slip in last season’s semi-final. There is naturally a significant amount of ego in this, but that isn’t said as a criticism. The intensity of the job means elite managers must almost by definition be self-absorbed. It’s close to a prerequisite of getting to the top and staying there. An inherent pride is why so many coaches stay wedded to a style even as the wider game moves past them, because it becomes about proving they still have it. It happened to Arsene Wenger. It happened to Jose Mourinho. It happened to almost everyone, except the figure whose record Guardiola is actually chasing. Carlo Ancelotti also happens to be the manager fittingly standing in the Catalan’s way. The Italian is aiming to extend his record with a fifth Champions League, as Guardiola looks for a long-awaited third. You could understand a certain amount of frustration at that, since it all seems to come so easy to Ancelotti at the same time as Guardiola endures so many long nights of the soul in the Champions League. Last season’s semi-final was another. The Real Madrid manager is frequently asked about the secret of all this by football people, and the answer is instructive. “You have to have no ego,” Ancelotti says. “Listen to your players, ask their opinion, trust them.” Even that seems to go against a lot of the system-led management that the Guardiola era has fostered. It is not the only way Ancelotti has defied the supposedly defining trends of the modern game. Far from obstructing managers like Guardiola, the Italian was supposed to be rendered obsolete. That isn’t just tactical theorising, either. It seemed the reality of their last few roles, especially at Bayern Munich. When Ancelotti succeeded Guardiola at the German club in 2016, the players were staggered at the drop-off in intensity and preparation. It all seemed so lax and lacking in tactical ideas. The seams began to come apart, leading to Ancelotti’s early sacking. This was the way of the game. System prevailed, all the more so when it was intensely applied. If you wanted to go to a higher level, you needed an idea that amplified the whole. Any stars had to subsume themselves to that. Ancelotti instead seemed to be following many other managers from the previous era in receding from the top end of the game. His jobs showed that. He went from the Champions League latter stages to just trying to get into the competition at Napoli and then floating around mid-table with Everton. And yet here he is back at the summit, with an historic Champions League record that Guardiola so wants, as well as the trophy itself. That has all come without wanting to leave any greater imprint on the game. All Ancelotti wants to do is get by, as they got past City last year, to ensure he has four Champions Leagues and Guardiola still only has two. It illustrates that, rather than both representing dividing lines in football history, they represent opposite approaches in a game that still has a lot of blurred lines. That applies to the jobs they both came into most recently. They weren’t the same. The current City football project was specifically constructed for Guardiola, according to his ideals. It is almost the perfect football setting for him. There would be a football symmetry if he was to win the Champions League again by finalising the most modern team with “the box” that won Barcelona their first European Cup in 1992. There was none of this lofty philosophising with Ancelotti’s last appointment. There was a grand project, sure, as the Madrid hierarchy decided they were going to play 4-3-3 for the next decade. Far from being the perfect fit for that, though, Ancelotti was brought back because club president Florentino Perez couldn’t get anyone else. It was little more than a compromise. So, while City were made for Guardiola, Madrid had to make do with Ancelotti. It just so happened he was able to work very well within those constraints. He could adapt superbly to what he was given, which was one of the best young squads in the world. This is another area where the picture is clouded. It isn’t completely wrong to say Ancelotti looked left behind. He didn’t excel at either Napoli or Everton. But he didn’t have what he has now at Madrid. It points to one of many contrasts in this game, one that may decide where the Champions League ends up. It is idealist against pragmatist, as well as collective control against individual moments. Similarly, while Guardiola sets a club’s entire identity, Ancelotti just makes it feel better about itself. The 4-3-3 wasn’t his idea so he just works to make it better as and when required. He knows how to talk to players, enabling them and ensuring they always feel involved. Ancelotti is also said to be the best in the world at the timing of substitutions. Some of that comes from an instinctive feel for how a match is going, “the sense of a game”. It could be seen in last year’s dramatic semi-final comeback, not least when Ancelotti consulted Marcelo and Toni Kroos on the sideline. This is exactly what he meant when he spoke about no ego and listening to players. There’s another blurred line here, though. Ancelotti still had sufficient pride to stop a question at a recent press conference and point out that he does a lot more than man-management. His record speaks to that. It is one that Guardiola would love to claim as his own. This semi-final may go someway to deciding that. Guardiola's "box" may actually bring his career full circle, as it could represent the completeness of his tactical idea and bring a first Champions League title since Barcelona. Such sophisticated re-interpretations of the past have moved football into the future. It's just that one of its most historic figures, in Ancelotti, remains a key part of it. Read More Why Man City vs Real Madrid is the ‘real’ Champions League final The six types of Pep Guardiola full-back, and what each says about Man City’s evolution Is Real Madrid vs Manchester City on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch Champions League semi-final

Real Madrid host the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Manchester City as they continue to chase another European trophy. Carlo Ancelotti’s side have already progressed beyond two English clubs in the knockout rounds, showing all of their competition-winning acumen in beating Liverpool and Chelsea. But the Spanish capital club know they will face a significantly stronger side with the Premier League leaders in town. Manchester City are in outstanding form and desperately covet the continental crown that has so far eluded them. Here’s everything you need to know. When is Real Madrid vs Manchester City? Real Madrid vs Manchester City is due to kick off at 8pm BST on Tuesday 9 May at the Bernabeu in Madrid. How can I watch it? Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the first leg live on BT Sport 1, with coverage on the channel from 7pm BST. Subscribers can stream the game via the BT Sport app or online player. Team news Real Madrid are dealing with a couple of defensive issues, with Eder Militao suspended for this fixture and Ferland Mendy still battling a calf injury. Luka Modric should, however, be fit to start after overcoming his hamstring issue to feature in the Copa del Rey win on Sunday. Kevin De Bruyne returned to the starting Manchester City side against Leeds in a timely boost for Pep Guardiola, though Nathan Ake’s second half substitution during that encounter is cause for concern. The Dutch defender’s hamstring injury could rule him out. Predicted line-ups Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Carvajal, Rudiger, Alaba, Camavinga; Valverde, Modric, Kroos; Rodrygo, Benzema, Vinicius Jr. Manchester City XI: Ederson; Walker, Dias, Akanji; Stones, Rodri; Silva, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Grealish; Haaland. Odds Real Madrid win 9/4 Draw 47/17 Manchester City win 5/4 Prediction A draw leaves things intriguingly poised ahead of the second leg. Real Madrid 2-2 Manchester City Read More Why Man City vs Real Madrid is the ‘real’ Champions League final The six types of Pep Guardiola full-back, and what each says about Man City’s evolution Pep Guardiola ready to stare down his managerial nemesis once again

Manchester City are still on the hunt for a potential treble as they travel to face Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final. A third Premier League title in a row is looking ever more likely, but Pep Guardiola’s side are also major contenders for a first continental crown. To get to the Istanbul final, though, they will have to get past the defending champions, with Carlo Ancelotti’s serial winners back in the last four and likely to provide a stern test. With their league hopes over, Real Madrid can focus fully on this two-legged affair as they look to set up a final against either Inter or AC Milan. Here’s everything you need to know. When is Real Madrid vs Manchester City? Real Madrid vs Manchester City is due to kick off at 8pm BST on Tuesday 9 May at the Bernabeu in Madrid. How can I watch it? Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the first leg live on BT Sport 1, with coverage on the channel from 7pm BST. Subscribers can stream the game via the BT Sport app or online player. Team news Real Madrid are dealing with a couple of defensive issues, with Eder Militao suspended for this fixture and Ferland Mendy still battling a calf injury. Luka Modric should, however, be fit to start after overcoming his hamstring issue to feature in the Copa del Rey win on Sunday. Kevin De Bruyne returned to the starting Manchester City side against Leeds in a timely boost for Pep Guardiola, though Nathan Ake’s second half substitution during that encounter is cause for concern. The Dutch defender’s hamstring injury could rule him out. Predicted line-ups Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Carvajal, Rudiger, Alaba, Camavinga; Valverde, Modric, Kroos; Rodrygo, Benzema, Vinicius Jr. Manchester City XI: Ederson; Walker, Dias, Akanji; Stones, Rodri; Silva, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Grealish; Haaland. Odds Real Madrid win 9/4 Draw 47/17 Manchester City win 5/4 Prediction A draw leaves things intriguingly poised ahead of the second leg. Real Madrid 2-2 Manchester City Read More Why Man City vs Real Madrid is the ‘real’ Champions League final The six types of Pep Guardiola full-back, and what each says about Man City’s evolution Pep Guardiola ready to stare down his managerial nemesis once again