News

Four games down, two to go.

The Women’s Champions League’s inaugural league phase is set for a thrilling finale as teams battle to qualify for the knockout stage.

Last year’s beaten finalists Barcelona are the frontrunners, with record eight-time winners Lyon in close pursuit at the top, while main draw debutants Manchester United lead the way for the trio of Women’s Super League’s teams.

Teams finishing first to fourth will automatically qualify for the quarter-finals, with the next eight teams – from fifth to 12th – facing off in two-legged play-offs to determine who will join them.

Holders Arsenal have found it tough going in the Champions League this season, with results and performances failing to match the increased expectations set by that glorious triumph over Barcelona in the final last May.

An opening night defeat by Lyon and a total collapse against Bayern Munich bookended an unconvincing away win over Benfica, before Alessia Russo inspired a vital fightback to secure three points against Real Madrid.

Those results leave the European champions eighth in the table with six points from four games played so far, and on course to finish in one of the play-off spots.

Chelsea’s latest quest to secure a maiden Champions League crown has been a mixed bag of results so far.

They made a stuttering start with a drab draw against Dutch champions Twente, but followed up by swatting Paris FC aside and hitting St Polten for six, before claiming an impressive 1-1 draw against old foes Barcelona.

So after four games played Sonia Bompastor’s side are in sixth place, a point and two places outside the top four, but with momentum and confidence very much on the up.

Manchester United enjoyed a flying start to their debut campaign in Europe, winning their first three games against Valerenga, Atletico Madrid and Paris St-Germain while conceding just one goal. But their progress came to a shuddering halt on matchday four with a 5-2 hammering by Wolfsburg.

That chastening defeat in Germany was United’s third loss in four matches in all competitions, with a lack of squad depth looking to be taking its toll as they begin to struggle with the demands of fighting on multiple fronts.

With nine points from four games, they currently occupy fourth spot in the standings, which would secure automatic qualification to the quarter-finals. However considerable improvements are required to remain there.

Each team in the competition has two games remaining in the league phase – one at home and one away – with their points tally after matchday six determining their final place in the league phase.

The sides from 13th to 18th will be eliminated from the competition.

As it stands, Manchester United would qualify automatically for the quarter-finals, while holders Arsenal and Chelsea would go into the play-offs.

Yet with just four points separating United in fourth place and Paris FC in 12th, things are far from decided.

Chelsea may have ordinarily celebrated a 1-1 draw with them in the Women’s Champions League despite having experienced many heartaches in the past at Barcelona’s expense.

However, this opportunity was a squander.

On the night, Chelsea overran the first half and provided plenty of chances for goalscorers.

Ellie Carpenter’s delicious opener was canceled after they failed to clear a corner and allowed Ewa Pajor to pounce on the loose ball, which they then led for eight minutes.

With 10 minutes left, Australian Carpenter dragged her close finish wide with only the goalkeeper to beat, which was unfortunate.

Sonia Bompastor may have known that their chance to defeat Barcelona was at a certain point.

When the full-time whistle finally came, the Blues manager shook her head in disbelief as her team fell to sixth place in the league phase table, two points clear of their Spanish opponents in first place, after substitute Catarina Macario’s goal was also for a minor offside.

Their 8-2 aggregate defeat by Barcelona in the semi-finals of last year was an impressive performance and a significant improvement over their previous best-efforts, but their lack of ruthlessness ultimately cost them the victory they desired.

“I find it frustrating not to have won the game, especially given the chances and statistics,” Bompastor said.

“We had opportunities to win, so I’m frustrated for that reason,” he said, “but overall there were many advantages to take.”

We are aware that we must be patient in the crucial games and the Champions League. My players are working so hard on that, as we have discussed.

Bompastor was the only one who couldn’t hide her disappointment as Chelsea’s players drew their hands to their hips, squirming, and pouting in disbelief.

Barcelona have proved to be their enemy, knocking them out in four of their previous five Champions League campaigns, a fact that they have been pursuing for a while.

Anita Asante, a former Chelsea defender, stated to BBC Two, “This opportunity was missed.” They had the best chance to defeat Barcelona and move up to the top four [of the league phase table] of that table.

“This is Chelsea’s best performance of the season,” I said. They will enjoy how well the game plan and approach were carried out. The three best chances were created by them, frustrating Barcelona.

Barcelona manager Pere Romeu acknowledged that Barcelona’s situation was “very different” from the team’s record-breaking performance in the last four tie.

Bompastor claimed that because of her tactics, she had been “too ambitious” last season and had changed their setup on Thursday night to make sure they were less vulnerable when they were out of the game.

Chelsea defender Lucy Bronze expressed disappointment by saying, “We feel like we could have won the game on the night.” The chances were probably better for us.

No one anticipated how things would turn out in the first half of the game, perhaps apart from Chelsea, said.

Expectations were always high when Chelsea spent $900,000 to sign her from the San Diego Wave in January as the then-world record signing.

The 25-year-old has struggled to settle, though, having been hampered by a knee injury that delayed her eagerly awaited arrival and slowed her down.

However, the American defender showed just why Chelsea were willing to pay the price with a spectacular display against Europe’s elite side.

On BBC Two, London City Lionesses forward Nikita Parris said, “Giram won’t get the plaudits like other Chelsea players will, but she was defensively solid.”

She was there whenever she needed to recover quickly. She can be proud of her performance, especially as she recovers from a knee injury.

In the first half, Girma’s biggest moment was when she ran across Caroline Graham Hansen’s six-yard crossbar.

Just one minute later, Carpenter tapped the ball past Chelsea goalkeeper Cata Coll to make the score 1-0.

Girma partially helped Barcelona defeat them in the second half as a result of them having to read all of their attacking ideas and put a stop to them.

Was Chelsea’s best performance this time around?

“Admitted Bompastor,” “yes, one of the best. We are aware of her level and her excellence. She has been unfortunate not to be able to play more for us.

World number one Judd Trump swept to a 4-0 win over an out-of-sorts Mark Williams in just 48 minutes to reach the semi-finals of the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship.

Trump, who is yet to win a title this term, reverted back to an old cue and looked closer to his fluent best as he rounded off victory with breaks of 100 and 102.

It was a far cry from his performance in his defeat by Mark Selby in the final of the Champion of Champions four days ago, when he spoke of his struggles since opting to switch to a new cue – with a titanium ferrule rather than a traditional brass one – at the start of the campaign.

“The experiment with that cue did not succeed. It is hard to play your best when you are trying to find the right cue, but I’m out there battling”, said Trump.

“There is still going to be a bit of changing until I find the right cue, it is not perfect at the moment.

” We are all fortunate just to play snooker for a living. Sometimes it’s tough when things are not going your way, but I will keep trying and at some point it will all click again. “

Trump will face China’s Zhao Xintong in the last four on Friday after the world champion compiled four half-centuries during a 4-2 win over Shaun Murphy.

Defending Riyadh champion Mark Allen and Australia’s Neil Robertson will contest the other semi-final.

Northern Ireland’s Allen won 4-2 in a hard-fought contest against Scotland’s John Higgins.

World number one Judd Trump swept to a 4-0 win over an out-of-sorts Mark Williams in just 48 minutes to reach the semi-finals of the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship.

Trump, who is yet to win a title this term, reverted back to an old cue and looked closer to his fluent best as he rounded off victory with breaks of 100 and 102.

It was a far cry from his performance in his defeat by Mark Selby in the final of the Champion of Champions four days ago, when he spoke of his struggles since opting to switch to a new cue – with a titanium ferrule rather than a traditional brass one – at the start of the campaign.

“The experiment with that cue did not succeed. It is hard to play your best when you are trying to find the right cue, but I’m out there battling,” said Trump.

“There is still going to be a bit of changing until I find the right cue, it is not perfect at the moment.

“We are all fortunate just to play snooker for a living. Sometimes it’s tough when things are not going your way, but I will keep trying and at some point it will all click again.”

Trump will face China’s Zhao Xintong in the last four on Friday after the world champion compiled four half-centuries during a 4-2 win over Shaun Murphy.

Defending Riyadh champion Mark Allen and Australia’s Neil Robertson will contest the other semi-final.

Northern Ireland’s Allen won 4-2 in a hard-fought contest against Scotland’s John Higgins.

The team formerly known as Israel-Premier Tech have been taken over by a branding company co-founded by Barcelona legend and World Cup winner Andres Iniesta.

It was announced on Thursday evening the team had changed ownership and registered as Swiss, following their Israeli owners being the subject of several pro-Palestinian protests and the loss of their title sponsor.

The team will now be known as NSN Cycling from 2026, and say they are “a Swiss team with a Spanish structure”.

In a statement, which suggested they had been sold by the Israeli owners – although this has not been formally confirmed to BBC Sport after a request for comment – the team said they had made an “acquisition of the team’s]governing competition] licence, and subsequent role in the team’s operations”.

NSN, which stands for Never Say Never, is a company co-founded by Iniesta, and claims to “connect global audiences through the power of sports and entertainment”.

Former title sponsor Premier Tech ended its association this month, despite the team initially agreeing to remove Israel from their name.

The team had agreed to the change in October after public pressure from the Canadian company, citing pro-Palestinian protests during the Vuelta a Espana in September – many of which were directed towards Israel-Premier Tech.

Canadian rider Derek Gee also cancelled his contract with the team days before the Vuelta, citing “serious concerns”.

Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome signed for the team in 2020, but was released last week following serious injuries sustained in a training accident this year.

Canadian-Israeli billionaire Sylvan Adams has been co-owner of Israel-Premier Tech since 2014, but recently stepped back from day-to-day operations following controversy surrounding the team during the Vuelta as a result of the Israel-Gaza conflict.

The conflict was sparked by a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October, 2023, during which about 1, 200 people were killed.

Iniesta is known primarily for a trophy-laden career with Barcelona and Spain, including scoring the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final in South Africa.

An integral part of football’s game-changing tiki-taka dominance, the 41-year-old has become active in business since his retirement and known to enjoy the ever-growing discipline of gravel cycling.

Cycling, and road cycling in particular, is considered one of the next areas of significant global growth in elite sport, with many of the sport’s figureheads calling for a new financial model to be established.

Although not directly referenced in statements, Gee said riding for the Israeli-owned team “weighed heavily on his conscience”, and said he is now the subject of a 30m euros (£26m) damages claim for breach of contract from the team.

It is not clear whether this dispute is ongoing now the team’s ownership appears to have changed hands.

Gee, a popular figure in the sport, was considered one of the former team’s best riders, having finished fourth in May’s Giro d’Italia.

Adams ‘ involvement in Israeli politics is well known, telling BBC Sport in 2020 he is a “self-appointed ambassador to Israel”.

He supported Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government on a trip to the White House to oversee the signing of an accord between Arab nations and Israel during US President Donald Trump’s first term in 2020.

The protests during the Vuelta affected several of the 21 stages across the three-week Grand Tour, including the cancellation of the final stage in Madrid, when protestors blocked the course with barriers and some riders were pushed from their bikes.

On stage five during the team time trial, a banner was unfurled in front of Israel-Premier Tech as they approached at speed, taking four of eight riders out of the stage.

Alongside the withdrawal of Premier Tech, the old team’s bike supplier Factor also decided to end its association.

The team formerly known as Israel-Premier Tech have been taken over by a branding company co-founded by Barcelona legend and World Cup winner Andres Iniesta.

It was announced on Thursday evening the team had changed ownership and registered as Swiss, following their Israeli owners being the subject of several pro-Palestinian protests and the loss of their title sponsor.

The team will now be known as NSN Cycling from 2026, and say they are “a Swiss team with a Spanish structure”.

In a statement, which suggested they had been sold by the Israeli owners – although this has not been formally confirmed to BBC Sport after a request for comment – the team said they had made an “acquisition of the team’s [governing competition] licence, and subsequent role in the team’s operations”.

NSN, which stands for Never Say Never, is a company co-founded by Iniesta, and claims to “connect global audiences through the power of sports and entertainment”.

Former title sponsor Premier Tech ended its association this month, despite the team initially agreeing to remove Israel from their name.

The team had agreed to the change in October after public pressure from the Canadian company, citing pro-Palestinian protests during the Vuelta a Espana in September – many of which were directed towards Israel-Premier Tech.

Canadian rider Derek Gee also cancelled his contract with the team days before the Vuelta, citing “serious concerns”.

Four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome signed for the team in 2020, but was released last week following serious injuries sustained in a training accident this year.

Canadian-Israeli billionaire Sylvan Adams has been co-owner of Israel-Premier Tech since 2014, but recently stepped back from day-to-day operations following controversy surrounding the team during the Vuelta as a result of the Israel-Gaza conflict.

The conflict was sparked by a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed.

Iniesta is known primarily for a trophy-laden career with Barcelona and Spain, including scoring the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final in South Africa.

An integral part of football’s game-changing tiki-taka dominance, the 41-year-old has become active in business since his retirement and known to enjoy the ever-growing discipline of gravel cycling.

Cycling, and road cycling in particular, is considered one of the next areas of significant global growth in elite sport, with many of the sport’s figureheads calling for a new financial model to be established.

Although not directly referenced in statements, Gee said riding for the Israeli-owned team “weighed heavily on his conscience”, and said he is now the subject of a 30m euros (£26m) damages claim for breach of contract from the team.

It is not clear whether this dispute is ongoing now the team’s ownership appears to have changed hands.

Gee, a popular figure in the sport, was considered one of the former team’s best riders, having finished fourth in May’s Giro d’Italia.

Adams’ involvement in Israeli politics is well known, telling BBC Sport in 2020 he is a “self-appointed ambassador to Israel”.

He supported Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government on a trip to the White House to oversee the signing of an accord between Arab nations and Israel during US President Donald Trump’s first term in 2020.

The protests during the Vuelta affected several of the 21 stages across the three-week Grand Tour, including the cancellation of the final stage in Madrid, when protestors blocked the course with barriers and some riders were pushed from their bikes.

On stage five during the team time trial, a banner was unfurled in front of Israel-Premier Tech as they approached at speed, taking four of eight riders out of the stage.

Alongside the withdrawal of Premier Tech, the old team’s bike supplier Factor also decided to end its association.