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Harry Kane says Bayern Munich need to use Manchester United’s issues to their advantage as the England skipper looks to shoot down his long-term admirers in the Champions League. Kane has long been linked with a move to Old Trafford but last month moved to the German giants from boyhood club Tottenham. He has hit the ground running with four goals in as many domestic games as attention turns to Wednesday’s Champions League opener. United are the visitors and the England skipper, 30, maintains Bayern always felt like the right choice for his next club. “To be honest, obviously over the summer I know there were some talks between a few clubs in the background,” Kane said. “But Bayern was a team I was really excited by so there wasn’t too many other discussions once they came in. “My focus is on here. Obviously Manchester are a great club, a really big club as well, but I decided to come here and I’m really happy I have.” Kane joined Bayern in search of silverware that has evaded him for club and country – success that is almost guaranteed with the German behemoths. Trophies have looked far from certain over the last decade at United, who head to Bavaria in a precarious state after a third defeat in four matches compounded their well-documented off-field issues. Kane is wary of a potential backlash but acknowledged United have been going through a “bit of a tough spell recently” that they can capitalise on. “I don’t know about the perfect time (to play them),” he said. “There can be a big response from teams going through a difficult spell but of course we need to use circumstances to our advantage, to go with big confidence at home in front of our fans. “It is important to start the game on the front foot and really try and put the pressure on the opposition. “They have some big threats as well, on the counter-attack they have some really quick players, so we need to be wary of that. “But overall it’s a game we want to try to dominate and try to keep the pressure on and hopefully break them down as the game goes on.” Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern side are strong favourites to win Wednesday’s match and second only to holders Manchester City in the bookmakers’ odds to lift the trophy, but Kane is focusing on further improvements on a personal and collective level. “It’s been a good start for me here for sure,” he said. “Whenever there is a big transfer there is a little bit more pressure and expectation. “Really pleased to score the four goals so far. I still think personally I can play better but I think that will come with getting to know my team-mates more and the system and the way we play. “There’s definitely room for improvement in my all-round game but it’s always good to score four goals in four games.” Kane is the all-time top goalscorer of both England and Tottenham, who have started the season well despite their star turn’s exit. New head coach Ange Postecoglou’s side are unbeaten in the Premier League, with four wins – including one over United – and a draw leaving Spurs second. “They’ve had a fantastic start,” Kane said. “I’m always keeping an eye on them and I’ll keep an eye on Tottenham for the rest of my life. “I’m really happy to see the team playing the way they are and to see the fans happy is a great thing.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Italy boss Kieran Crowley wary of ‘massive threat’ posed by Uruguay Harry Kane defends ‘scapegoated’ Harry Maguire amid ‘unnecessary scrutiny’ Chris Billam-Smith confident of Lawrence Okolie win but doubts appeal of rematch

International soccer games could again be affected by the territorial dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia that reignited Tuesday

By Daniel Wiessner Elon Musk's SpaceX has sued the U.S. government saying that the government's administrative case accusing

A Black Texas high school student who was suspended because his loc hairstyle violated the district's dress code was suspended again upon his return to school Monday, an attorney for the family told CNN.

Colorado’s double-overtime victory against Colorado State, which ended in the early hours of Sunday morning in most of the country, drew 9.3 million viewers

Duane Bock finally gets to caddie in a Ryder Cup and it's not anything like he expected

Two weeks of USA versus Europe starts in Spain

Harry Kane defended Harry Maguire as the England captain hit out at the way the defender has been “scapegoated” amid “really unnecessary scrutiny”. Little more than two years on from being named in the European Championship team of the tournament, the 30-year-old is now the butt of jokes to many. Maguire’s struggle for form and game-time at Manchester United have increased the spotlight on a player that has remained an integral part of the England squad. Boss Gareth Southgate said the treatment of the centre-back was “ridiculous”, “a joke” and “beyond anything I’ve ever seen” after he was mocked mercilessly against Scotland at Hampden Park. Kane wrapped up that 3-1 friendly win following an own goal by half-time introduction Maguire, who the England skipper believes faces unwarranted attention and ridicule. “I think H has come under some really unnecessary scrutiny,” the Bayern Munich striker said. “Probably been scapegoated a little bit in terms of the way the team has gone over recent times. “He is a really good friend of mine, he’s a great guy, a really hard working professional. “From an England point of view, he has been one of our best defenders and one of the best defenders in the history of our country in an England shirt. “It’s part of our game now, it’s part of football. You get scrutinised all over social media but knowing him, all he will want to do is work harder and improve and stay focused. “We’re fully behind him in the national team. I know the coach has come out and backed him fully. “There’s always going to be noise around players but the most important thing is that we have a really strong core with England and that’s the most important thing going into big games and big tournaments.” Kane and Maguire go from team-mates to opponents as Bayern host out-of-sorts United in Wednesday’s Champions League Group A opener. Harry is a great guy, a great professional. A lot of young players can look at him and his journey to hopefully motivate them to be footballers as well. Harry Kane on Harry Maguire Put to sharpshooter Kane he could make matters worse for the defender, he said: “Yeah, but this is football. I’ve come up against friends or England team-mates before. “Once you get on to the pitch, your competitiveness comes out and you want to do your best for your team and nothing else really enters your mind. That’s not something I think about. “But Harry is a great guy, a great professional. A lot of young players can look at him and his journey to hopefully motivate them to be footballers as well. “But, yeah, if he plays (on Wednesday night) that friendship goes away for 90 minutes and I do my best for Bayern Munich.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Chris Billam-Smith confident of Lawrence Okolie win but doubts appeal of rematch Roy Hodgson set to return to Crystal Palace dugout on Saturday after illness Harry Kane happy with Bayern Munich decision ahead of Manchester United meeting

Prop Cyril Baille has recovered from a calf injury and returns to the France team along with center Jonathan Danty for the team’s third Rugby World Cup pool game against Namibia on Thursday

After a perfect start in the Spanish league with five straight wins Real Madrid will look to keep its momentum going in the Champions League on Wednesday

As the new League Two season got underway last month, the bookmakers were clear in their opinion; Wrexham were the favourites. The team to beat. Eight games in, Phil Parkinson’s side sit fourth– just three points off table-toppers Gillingham – having won four and drawn three since their opening-day defeat to MK Dons. Two places above them in second is Notts County, Wrexham’s promotion rivals from last season who have also made an impressive start back to life in the Football League. Notts County, like Wrexham, were one of the early season favourites for the title despite this being their first season back in the fourth tier since 2019. While it may come as no surprise that two teams littered with Football League talent have taken little time to acclimatise to England’s fourth tier, it does point to a stark financial inequality that is beginning to emerge at the base of the Football League. In the case of Wrexham, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney may not be throwing around cash in such a carefree manner as their American counterpart, Todd Boehly, in the Premier League at Chelsea, but they certainly aren’t spending prudently either. The club’s financial records for their promotion-winning season aren’t yet available, but the records from the season prior paint a clear picture of the new owners’ willingness to part ways with cash in their bid for promotion. £1.2m spent on transfers and agents – up from just £10,000 the year before – alongside a 294 per cent increase in football costs and losses of £2.9m which far outweighed the average net loss for a club in the National League, which sits around £1.1m according to Deloitte’s Annual Review of Football Finance. Some of that can be explained by the owner’s purchase of the freehold for the stadium and their 404 per cent increase in revenue – up to nearly £6m – but, regardless, the picture is as clear as ever. The big spenders rise to the top. One of last season’s big revenue drivers is expected to be Welcome to Wrexham, the hugely popular fly-on-the-wall documentary. The second season airs this week, showcasing the club’s second full season under their new owners, a campaign which ultimately concluded in Wrexham’s promotion back to the Football League for the first time since 2008. The show has attracted eyeballs and acclaim for its presentation of a football club at the heart of its community, and rightly so. In the second episode of the new series, for example, the story follows a young 17-year-old autistic fan, Millie Tipping, who strikes up a heartwarming relationship with star striker Paul Mullin whose own son, Albi, shares the same disorder. That focus on the community is an uplifting thread that runs throughout the documentary. But it’s also no wonder when the alternative is confronting the fact that Wrexham seem intent on financially bulldozing the lower leagues with boatloads of cash and hefty wage bills. After all, there were no other clubs in the National League last year whose kits were adorned with the sponsorship money of a social media giant like TikTok. No other teams in England’s fifth tier who could ring up and tempt a former England international goalkeeper out of retirement to help secure promotion. This year, their squad has been boosted – yet again – by the arrival of talent from higher divisions in the form of Will Boyle, George Evans and James McLean, the latter a £250,000 signing from Wigan Athletic reported to be on “championship wages”. When added to a squad that had already picked off supreme talents from the leagues above when the Welsh side were still in the National League, it’s clear to see why the bookmakers had them right at the top of their odds sheet. Money talks. They are not the only ones following this path in League Two. Salford City were the poster boy for big spending when they first reached the division under the ‘Class of 92’ ownership group. Stockport County too, who pipped Wrexham to promotion in the documentary’s first season, have spent handsomely, bringing Nick Powell to the club after he left Stoke City in the summer. But as Wrexham’s documentary hits TV screens, it should be the big spending of Reynolds and McElhenney that is put under the microscope. The celebrity status and goodwill garnered from the documentary should not distract from the vast spending that could dramatically alter the lower league landscape. Their openness with the fanbase and their effect on the local community is to be celebrated. One only has to look into the shenanigans at Southend United and Scunthorpe Town to realise stable ownership is far from guaranteed. However, look beyond that and their on-field strategy – fueled by rocketing sponsorship income and aggressive spending – is creating an unwanted blueprint. Succeeding in the Premier League has long been dictated by an owner’s willingness to spend. Football must now avoid a world where big-name owners, vast sponsorship deals and the same ability to spend are the only ways to journey up the football pyramid. Read More Welcome to Wrexham: The seasons we never got to see behind the scenes Welcome to Wrexham: Best sporting moments from season one Welcome to Wrexham: Best moments to look out for in season two Wrexham’s legendary goalkeeper Ben Foster in profile Wrexham’s star striker ‘Super’ Paul Mullin in profile Ben Foster: Retired keeper set to star in Welcome to Wrexham season 2

Crystal Palace have announced manager Roy Hodgson will be back in the dugout this weekend after missing the 3-1 defeat at Aston Villa because of illness. Hodgson was feeling unwell on Saturday morning and, as a result, he did not travel to Villa Park, where his side led through Odsonne Edouard before conceding three times late on, twice in added-on time. Palace said the 76-year-old former England boss oversaw the club’s training session on Tuesday and he is now expected to be at Selhurst Park on Saturday as the Eagles take on Fulham. “We are delighted to confirm Roy Hodgson led Crystal Palace training today,” said a brief statement on the club’s website on Tuesday. “The manager was absent from Saturday’s match at Villa Park but will return to the dugout for Saturday’s match against Fulham at Selhurst Park.” Palace did not say how poorly their manager was ahead of the Villa fixture but did confirm he was in touch with first-team coaches Paddy McCarthy and Ray Lewington throughout the encounter. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live