Category News

Women’s Champions League: Manchester United v Paris St-Germain

Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester Date: Wednesday, 12 November Kick-off: 20:00 GMT

“Written in the stars, some might say.”

After 501 days since her departure, Mary Earps is returning to Manchester United.

But the goalkeeper, who played 125 times for the club during a five-year spell, will be lining up on the other side of the pitch when Paris St-Germain visit Old Trafford in the Women’s Champions League on Wednesday.

“I knew it from the moment they qualified. Sometimes you just feel it. Maybe I manifested it, I don’t know,” Earps told BBC Sport.

The 32-year-old said she exchanged messages with her former United team-mate Ella Toone straight after the draw was made, while she added: “Going back to Old Trafford which is a special place, with so many amazing memories. I’m looking forward to the game.”

The spotlight will certainly be on Earps, who has dominated headlines in recent weeks for comments about former England team-mate Hannah Hampton and manager Sarina Wiegman in her newly released autobiography.

“Mary was always a leader,” said United manager Marc Skinner in his pre-match news conference. “She always had a voice and her own opinion – I always welcomed that. She always said what she was thinking.

“We welcome her back and absolutely respect her for what she did here. We also welcome her back as an opponent and I have to be clear on that. During the game, it’s about us trying to win against Mary.”

Earps was a hugely popular figure at United following her arrival in 2019 from Wolfsburg.

She played every league game for four seasons as United’s outright number one and won the Women’s FA Cup in May 2024 – the club’s first major trophy – before heading to France when her contract expired.

Earps had been offered a new deal to stay but, after much deliberation, she rejected it, saying the club were preparing to “undergo a period of transition” that “did not align” with where she was in her career.

“I think she will get a good reception. Her time at Manchester United was very good,” ex-England midfielder Fara Williams told Football Focus.

“She took them to their first Champions League finish while she was there. She had second-placed finishes with United, played in FA Cup finals. She had a great time at the club and the fans adored her, so I’m sure she’ll go back to a good reception.”

Earps, though, was less hopeful.

“I’m probably expecting a little booing,” she admitted. “I hope it’s a little bit, but it might be a lot.

“A few of the fans have come out to support me at PSG, but Manchester United is their number one team. I understand that.”

While he can’t control what reception Earps will receive, Skinner said he was looking forward to welcoming her back to Manchester and hopes the new book will not change people’s perceptions of her.

“Deep down I know Mary is a good person,” he added. “I’m sure part of bringing out a book is bringing out controversial stuff that will help sell the book. I know that she has to defend that publicly.

“Knowing the human she is, I’m sure she will be getting criticism that she won’t like. It’s part of the other side of releasing a book.

“But she’s a great person, she doesn’t need me to say that really. I hope people toe the line with criticism, but I’m sure Mary understands the situation she’s put herself in.

“She’s on a platform where people are interested in what she says, so that’s a credit to her and to her hard work.

Speaking in a BBC interview earlier this year, Earps said her move to PSG had allowed her to escape “the craziness of England”.

She fitted seamlessly into the team, instantly becoming the club’s number one to start 22 of their 24 league matches last term.

And just as her journey in Paris was getting started, Earps’ England career was beginning to wind down. Despite playing regularly for her club, Lionesses boss Wiegman gave more opportunities to Chelsea keeper Hampton.

When Hampton was handed the starting spot ahead of Euro 2025, Earps described the decision as “unjust” and subsequently announced her retirement from international football just before the tournament started.

This term, PSG find themselves second in the league, three points behind Lyon, and head to Manchester in search of a first Champions League win after losing to Wolfsburg and Real Madrid.

Earps has started every game in both competitions, conceding 15 goals in nine matches – including six in the 6-1 defeat by Lyon.

PSG head coach Paulo Cesar has “no doubts whatsoever” Earps is ready to take on her former club, despite the furore surrounding her book.

“She is completely ready for the game,” he said. “Has there been an impact on her as a person? I can’t see it.

“If there is anything in the dressing room, it hasn’t filtered through to me and I see her every day.”

PSG defender Olga Carmona added all her team-mates had “a great deal of confidence” in the keeper, who was capped 53 times by England.

“It’s a pleasure to play with Mary, I’m very lucky to be in the same team as her. It creates safety and security we all need at the back.

Conor Benn’s rematch with Chris Eubank Jr will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds on Saturday.

The rivals fight again at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, seven months after Eubank beat Benn on points in a thrilling fight in April.

Live radio coverage will start from 21:45 GMT on BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website.

Fans can also follow live text coverage from 20:00 GMT on the BBC Sport website and app and you can watch video highlights of the fight the next day.

You can also listen to undercard action from 19:00 GMT on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds, with Jack Catterall taking on Ekow Essuman in the co-main event.

Benn, 29, is looking to avenge the first defeat of his career, while 36-year-old Eubank aims to maintain his family’s unbeaten record against the Benns.

The rivalry began as a feud between their fathers – Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Sr – which started 35 years ago.

Rick Edwards leads the radio coverage live from ringside, with commentary by Ronald McIntosh alongside Steve Bunce, former super-middleweight champion Richie Woodhall and Stacey Copeland.

Chris Eubank Jr v Conor Benn 2 – middleweight

World Cup qualifying: Greece v Scotland

Venue: Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus Date: Saturday, 15 November Time: 19:45 GMT

Scotland face “the play-off before the play-offs” against Greece and Denmark in pursuit of a World Cup place, says assistant coach Steven Naismith.

Steve Clarke’s side visit the Greeks on Saturday before completing their group campaign at home to the Danes next Tuesday.

The Scots are level on points with Denmark, who top the group on goal difference. Greece and Belarus cannot reach next year’s finals in Canada, the United States and Mexico.

Group winners qualify while the runners-up enter the play-offs.

“Effectively a play-off before the play-offs.”

Greece beat Scotland over two legs in the last Nations League play-offs but lost at Hampden in October’s World Cup qualifier.

And Naismith commented: “All the games have been tight affairs, Greece, Denmark and ourselves will all have come into this thinking, ‘we can win the group’.

“Where Greece sit, they’ll feel quite hard done by with some of their performances. So, we know it will be a tough game.

Scotland are bidding to reach a men’s World Cup finals for the first time since 1998.

“The biggest thing I’ve noticed is that there’s a real understanding of what it takes to be successful,” said former Scotland forward Naismith.

“Making the two Euros has been so valuable to this squad. You can now see that there is a focus, an understanding that, ‘we need to do this to get to a major tournament’.

“We’ve got a squad here who’ve been really successful. That’s four campaigns in which we’ve made the play-offs for a World Cup, got to two Euros and got a real chance of making a World Cup tournament as well.

“Football is what the country lives and breathes. Scots are really emotional, so at times it can be tough. What has been shown is when we are united, the fans are up for it, the players are up for it led by the manager, we’ve been really successful.

“We’ve been to two major tournaments, probably not done ourselves justice at those tournaments and what an opportunity they’ve got to make massive history and get to a World Cup.

Midfielder Billy Gilmour has “a good chance” of being fit for the visit of Denmark, says Naismith.

The 24-year-old has been ruled out of Saturday’s clash with Greece after missing Napoli’s past two games with a groin injury.

He is not at the squad’s training base in Turkey but Naismith revealed there is still optimism that 43-cap Gilmour will be fit next week.

“Billy’s obviously picked up an injury a couple of weeks back,” said Naismith. “There was an argument to have him on site, but he’s better being at home and seeing how this week goes to give him the best chance to be ready, and that’s still a good, realistic possibility.

“The higher risk comes if you maybe force him into the first game when he’s not 100 per cent and damages more, whereas if you give him another week then the chances of him being at a really good level to go into that last game is high.