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Reeling Napoli face Juventus | The Express Tribune
Scott McTominay will try to help pick up Napoli against Juventus after defeat at FC Copenhagen. Photo: AFP/File
MILAN:
Napoli are reeling ahead of Sunday’s clash with fierce rivals Juventus after more European disappointment left the Serie A title holders on the brink of being eliminated from the Champions League.
Trailing leaders Inter Milan by six points ahead of their trip to Turin, Napoli have to pick themselves up after a poor 1-1 draw at 10-man FC Copenhagen.
Scott McTominay’s goal, which came shortly after Thomas Delaney was sent off for Copenhagen towards the end of the first half, looked to have sent Napoli on the way to a key win for their hopes of securing a play-off berth.
Instead Napoli were pegged back and as a result dropped into the elimination places with one match remaining, a horrible result for both Napoli and Italy’s dwindling reputation on the continental stage.
“We should have won that game, it’s unacceptable,” McTominay told Sky.
“We should have scored the second and third goals to close out the game… It’s really disappointing that we didn’t.”
Standing in the way of a Champions League play-off spot are Chelsea, Napoli’s opponents after what is always an emotionally heightened fixture with a Juve team heading in the right direction under Luciano Spalletti.
“We have to look at the mistakes and try to improve. Chelsea are an excellent team,” said McTominay.
“We have to try and give everything to improve in the Champions League as well. We have to be at our best.”
Napoli could well begin Sunday’s match nine points behind Inter who will look to shake off their sobering 3-1 defeat against Premier League leaders Arsenal with the simpler task of taking on Pisa.
Antonio Conte’s side will have their work cut out against fifth-placed Juve, who have started to resemble a true Spalletti team in recent weeks and unlike Napoli secured a Champions League play-off spot by beating Benfica.
Spalletti also has significantly fewer injury problems than Conte who has had a rotating cast of stars on the treatment table.
Starting centre-back Amir Rrahmani and winger Matteo Politano have both joined a list of key players out of action which already included Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne and Andre-Frank Anguissa.
Last weekend’s undeserved loss at Cagliari aside, Juve have been tighter at the back and more flamboyant going forward with Kenan Yildiz continuing to develop under Spalletti.
Juve are three points away from the last Champions League positions currently held by Roma, who have a chance to pull themselves back into the Scudetto discussion with the visit of second-placed AC Milan.
Roma are seven points behind Inter but a win at Stadio Olimpico in Sunday’s late fixture would put Gian Piero Gasperini’s team just one behind Milan and help keep Juve at bay.
Player to watch: Paulo Dybala
Dybala’s future in Rome has been in question after the Argentina international’s difficult first season under Gasperini, which has been marked by familiar injury problems and the rise of countryman Matias Soule.
But the 32-year-old looked back to his best in last weekend’s convincing win at Torino with a goal and assist for new boy Donyell Malen, with whom he clearly had an on-pitch understanding.
Assuming he is not injured in Thursday’s Europa League showdown with Stuttgart, Dybala will start on Sunday as Gasperini has repeatedly said there is no other player like him in the squad. AFP
Today is a very important and decisive clash between India and Pakistan to reach the semi-finals in the Under-19 World Cup 2026.
This important match will be played today, Sunday, in Zimbabwe, which will start at 12:30 pm according to Pakistani time and 1 pm according to Indian time.
This match is the last match of the Super Six stage and one team is yet to be decided for the semi-finals, England from Group 2 has already qualified for the semi-finals, while the other team will be India or Pakistan.
India is currently in a better position with six points and its net run rate is 3.337, it is very easy for India, it only has to win the match and it will qualify for the semi-finals.
But on the other hand, Pakistan has four points and its net run rate is 1.484, which is significantly lower than India. Pakistan not only needs to win this match but also by a large margin to equal India in points and also surpass them in net run rate.
If Pakistan scores 300 runs batting first, it will need to win by at least 85 runs. If Pakistan bowls first and restricts India to around 200 runs, the target will have to be achieved in 31.5 overs.
If India scores 251 runs, Pakistan will have to achieve this target in around 33.2 overs to make it to the semi-finals.
It should be noted that this match will not be just about winning or losing but will be a test of runs, overs and nerves where a small slip-up can knock one team out of the World Cup.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The judge in Alabama men’s basketball player Charles Bediako‘s eligibility lawsuit against the NCAA has recused himself from the case.
Tuscaloosa Circuit Court Judge James Roberts filed the order Wednesday, according to court documents. AL.com first reported Roberts’ recusal.
The case was reassigned to Judge Daniel Pruet, an Alabama graduate who is overseeing the murder case involving former Crimson Tide player Darius Miles.
The NCAA filed a motion for recusal Tuesday, noting Roberts’ donations to the university as well as public perception that his relationship with Alabama athletics could alter his judgment in the case. Roberts was listed as a donor on the Crimson Tide Foundation’s website.
“Courts in Alabama and beyond have widely recognized that a mere appearance of partiality is sufficient to require the recusal of a trial judge,” the NCAA wrote. “This appearance can be compounded by widespread media and public scrutiny questioning the trial court’s impartiality. Despite the NCAA’s confidence that the Court can disregard his connections to the University of Alabama and its athletics programs, recusal is still necessary to protect these proceedings from an appearance of impropriety.”
Bediako’s attorneys did not oppose the motion.
Bediako is suing the NCAA in an attempt to regain college eligibility despite leaving school and entering the 2023 NBA draft. He went undrafted but signed a two-way NBA contract and played the past three seasons in the G League. Roberts granted a temporary restraining order last week that allows Bediako to play for the Crimson Tide, at least until a hearing on an injunction can be held.
No. 23 Alabama plays at No. 19 Florida on Sunday.
The NCAA and several college coaches, including Florida’s Todd Golden, have strongly opposed Bediako’s return to college basketball.
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Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson was fined $50,000 for “aggressively pursuing, berating and making inadvertent contact with a game official,” the NBA announced Saturday.
The league’s announcement said the incident happened with 10:59 left in the fourth quarter of Cleveland’s 126-113 loss to the Phoenix Suns Friday.
Atkinson was assessed his second technical foul of the game when he stormed the court after a no-call against Sam Merrill for driving on Collin Gillespie after he bumped into an official before being escorted off and ejected from the game.
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Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson reacts during the second half in Game 4 of a first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat April 28, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rhona Wise)
Atkinson whipped his arm against the nearby referee before the whistle was blown.
Atkinson ripped the officials in a postgame news conference.
PGA TOUR STAR JUSTIN THOMAS RIPS NCAA FOR CURRENT STATE OF COLLEGE SPORTS
Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson reacts in the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers during Game 2 of the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena in Cleveland May 6, 2025. (David Richard-Imagn Images)
“We had one free throw after three quarters against a team that [is 26th in fouls],” Atkinson said. “And the second free throw we got was after a flop. I’m not pleased. I thought the game got out of hand, quite honestly. Parts of the game seemed circus-like, quite honestly. I don’t know if that’s what we want as a league.
“Certain characters in this league take liberties, and we don’t stand up to them. And the game turns into reviews, challenges, go to the monitor for 20 minutes when we’re just trying to play basketball. I don’t think it’s good for the league, and I know it wasn’t good for us tonight. Thought they let the game get out of hand.”
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Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson reacts during the first half against the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena in Cleveland May 4, 2025. (Ken Blaze-Imagn Images)
The Cavaliers fell to 29-21, while Phoenix improved to 30-19.
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