#match-preview

#match-preview

Two of the continent's footballing heavyweights go head to head in Group F of the Africa Cup of Nations at Stade de Marrakech, knowing a victory would all but secure a place in the knockout stages. Both teams enjoyed opening-day wins, with tournament holders Ivory coast seeing off Mozambique 1-0 courtesy of Manchester United's Amad Diallo while Cameroon defeated Gabon by the same scoreline.

Senegal enter as one of the tournament favourites, while Botswana aim to upset the odds and claim their first-ever win at an AFCON finals. Senegal The Teranga Lions arrive for their 18th AFCON appearance-and sixth in a row-after lifting the trophy in 2021. Their qualification campaign for Morocco 2025 was near flawless, going unbeaten in six matches, conceding just once, and finishing with the joint-best defensive record alongside Mali.

The Copa del Rey often produces memorable underdog stories, and this clash between CD Guadalajara and Barcelona epitomizes that narrative. Guadalajara, a third-tier side, will host the reigning La Liga leaders in what promises to be a historic occasion for the club and its supporters. Barcelona, meanwhile, begin their cup campaign aiming to avoid any slip-ups and maintain momentum across competitions.

Starting with the hosts, while Sporting Gijon might have found themselves at the heart of a worrying rut on either side of November's international break, Borja Jimenez's side have come roaring back in an eye-catching fashion over the past fortnight. Last seen over the weekend putting in another gritty performance as they secured a 1-0 victory at home against Granada, Los Rojiblancos have found a route back into the play-off places.

I knew I'd be asked more about our opponents than about Alaves... it's not my place to comment on that, but Real Madrid are very prestigious opponents and they have a manager who's earned his position for a reason. It will be very difficult because they have a lot of resources, but we will try to maintain our style and take the initiative.

Riccardo Calafiori is suspended for Arsenal, while Max Dowman (ankle), Cristhian Mosquera (ankle), Leandro Trossard (knock), Gabriel (thigh) and Kai Havertz (knee) are all set to miss out. Declan Rice (illness), William Saliba (knock) and Jurrien Timber (knock) add to Arsenal's worries but could still each feature. For Wolves, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde may be unavailable after being forced off during the loss to United. Rodrigo Gomes (groin), Marshall Munetsi (calf), Leon Chiwone (knee) and Daniel Bentley (ankle) will not play.

It's an immensely difficult game. I think we're going to play against the best team in Europe. Besides the individual talent, they have a collective aspect that's out of the ordinary, which makes it difficult. Their game is very mobile. They're a great team and have a great coach. We're going to do our best to compete and try to win, that's the objective, despite the difficulty of the task. We're going to do our utmost to honor Sporting,

Bayern Munich is back in Frauen-Bundesliga action following an international break that saw Germany fall 3-0 on aggregate over two legs to Spain in the Women's Nations League Final. FC Bayern have run rampant in the league this season and sit in first place with cushion, although their opponents, Eintracht Frankfurt, are putting in one of the stronger campaigns among the rest of the field and currently sit in fifth, having only played 10 matches to Bayern's 11.

VfB Stuttgart head coach Sebastian Hoeneß has a long history with Bayern Munich, including his time as the manager of Bayern II. What does that mean? Well, mostly that Hoeneß knows better than to think a Bayern Munich team that has not looked quite right of late is going to be easy to take advantage of.

Barça is Barça. They have great players, and they can always play a perfect game. Maybe they haven't managed it in recent matches, but they can do it on Tuesday,

Starting with the hosts, heading into November's fortnight interval with a downbeat 3-1 loss away at Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig will know the importance of claiming an immediate response here. Nevertheless, marking their return this weekend sat in silver medal position, Ole Werner's men have their sights firmly set on booking a lucrative Champions League return this season. Getting November underway with a dominant 3-1 win at home against Stuttgart, the Red Bulls have won each of their other four appearances across all competitions.