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Laurens’ weekend preview: A Supercopa Clasico; Inter vs. Napoli; Istanbul derby, more

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Laurens’ weekend preview: A Supercopa Clasico; Inter vs. Napoli; Istanbul derby, more


Every Friday, I pick for you the best or most exciting games not to be missed in the world of football each weekend. From derbies to top-of-the-table clashes, relegation six-pointers to world-class players facing each other or other interesting tactical battles, there will be something for everyone to enjoy.

This week, we take you to England, Italy, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Morocco for some Cup magic, a final, a big AFCON clash, a huge derby and first vs. third!


English FA Cup, third round
Kickoff: Saturday, 7:15 a.m. ET, 12:15 p.m. GMT

The magic of the FA Cup is back, or maybe not, but what an occasion for fifth-tier Macclesfield! It will be a special day for them at the Leasing.com Stadium and its capacity of just over 6,000 fans.

The FA Cup holders are in town on Saturday, and this could have the makings of a tricky game for Palace. Despite their solid 0-0 draw with Aston Villa on Wednesday in the Premier League, Oliver Glasner and his players haven’t been at their best for a while now — their last win in any competition came on Dec. 11. The amount of games played with a small squad has taken its toll.

Even if Jean-Philippe Mateta & Co. will naturally be favorites to go through, John Rooney and his players will believe that an upset is on the cards. They are in decent form in the National League, just a few points outside of the playoffs places with three games in hand. They are doing well in the domestic cup competitions too, so anything is possible. They will rely on John Edmondson, their Blackburn Rovers loanee midfielder who has been outstanding lately.

MY PREDICTION: Macclesfield 1, Crystal Palace 3. The magic will operate for a little bit in Cheshire, but in the end, Palace will go through.

Napoli to test Inter’s title credentials
Inter Milan vs. Napoli

Italian Serie A, Matchday 20
Kickoff: Sunday, 2:45 p.m. ET / 7:45 p.m. GMT

This is the biggest game of the weekend in Europe! Back in October, the reverse fixture in Naples gave us one of the games of the season in Italy so far, with the defending champions winning 3-1. Since then, however, Inter have hardly put a foot wrong.

Apart from a derby loss to AC Milan at San Siro in November (1-0), they have won nine from nine in Serie A! Lautaro Martínez is in great form and the Nerazzurri are top of the table, four points clear of Napoli in third. A win on Sunday and they could take a big advantage in the title race.

Napoli, meanwhile, dropped two points at home against Hellas Verona on Wednesday after a very disappointing first half, and it’s the kind of slip you can’t afford when the title race is so tight. It’s a massive game for both managers: Cristian Chivu and Antonio Conte. Conte, the master of communications, would love to beat Inter to another league title. For that, he will probably have to beat them again on Sunday and complete the double over them.

MY PREDICTION: Inter Milan 2, Napoli 1. Conte will do some Conte and think about defending first and foremost in this game, but Inter are the best team in Italy right now, and their front two, Martínez and Marcus Thuram, will prove to be the difference.

Turkish Super Lig, Matchday 18
Kickoff: Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. GMT

The Istanbul derby is back — or one of them, at least — and it will be more tense than ever! Only three points separate league leaders Galatasaray from arch-rivals Fenerbahce in second place at the halfway mark of the season. Both teams have been superb since August. Fener are still unbeaten this campaign, but their six draws have cost them dearly. Gala lost only one match, in a massive shock against Kocaelispor back in November (1-0), and have been very competitive in the UEFA Champions League, even defeating Liverpool in Istanbul during the league phase.

In the reverse fixture a few months ago, Jhon Durán scored in the 96th minute to snatch a point for Fenerbahce after Leroy Sané had put their neighbors ahead. It will be another tight affair this weekend.

Galatasaray will be without star striker Victor Osimhen, who is at the Africa Cup of Nations, and it’s a massive blow. They won the Turkish Supercup without him last weekend against Trabzonspor (4-1) with the great Mauro Icardi up front, but Osimhen is the X-Factor!

Fener’s best player and top goal scorer, Talisca, is also out due to injury, but Marco Asensio has had a great impact since joining from Paris Saint-Germain.

MY PREDICTION: Galatasaray 2, Fenerbahce 1. I think Okan Buruk will win the tactical battle against Domenico Tedesco and Galatasaray will go six points clear at the top.

AFCON’s best meet in the quarters
Algeria vs. Nigeria

Africa Cup of Nations, quarterfinal
Kickoff: Saturday, 11 a.m. ET / 4 p.m. GMT

For the first time ever in a big tournament, the eight highest-seeded teams have made it to the quarterfinals. We expected the big boys to be strong, and they have been. All the favorites are there, and there is no bigger game in the last eight than this one. Algeria and Nigeria have been the two best teams, playing the best football so far in the tournament.

There is always some drama with the Super Eagles, though. We saw the on-field argument between Osimhen and Ademola Lookman in the last 16, and now the players are unhappy at some bonuses not being paid to them by the federation.

Algeria have had a calmer tournament so far by comparison. Vladimir Petkovic has made this squad a happy one, and even when Congo DR pushed them almost all the way in the round of 16, they kept their composure to win late in extra time on a wonder goal by Adil Boulbina. It is a very talented Algerian generation with the likes of Mohamed Amoura, Ibrahim Maza, Hicham Bouadoui or Farès Chaïbi as well as the experience of Aïssa Mandi, Ramy Bensebaini and Riyad Mahrez. In goal, Luca Zidane, son of Zinedine, added another wonderful story to their campaign.

MY PREDICTION: Algeria 2, Nigeria 1. This is the most unpredictable quarterfinal of them all, but I think that Algeria will prevail thanks to their collective strengths.

English Women’s Super League, Matchday 12
Kickoff: Saturday, 7:30 a.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. GMT

It’s third vs. fourth at the Emirates on Saturday and one of the biggest games of the Women’s Super League season.

Arsenal are just a point above United in the table. The Gunners have only lost once so far in the league this term, at Manchester City (3-2) in October, the same amount as leaders City and Chelsea in second, but they’ve dropped too many points in their four draws (Chelsea, United, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur) so far. They are eight points behind City and need to beat the Red Devils to stay in the title race.

United’s form has been a bit more patchy recently in all competitions, with some solid performances like the away win at Juventus, but also three hammerings at the hands of City, VfL Wolfsburg and OL Lyonnes, and a draw at home against Spurs. Arsenal have more momentum and have the home advantage as well.

MY PREDICTION: Arsenal 3, Manchester United 1. It is a game that Arsenal have to win, and they will, behind a great home support at the Emirates.

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Nicol on Simeone’s words to Vinicius: He has to ‘show some respect’

Steve Nicol talks about Diego Simeone’s words towards Vinicius Jr during Real Madrid’s win over Atletico Madrid.

Spain’s Supercopa comes to a head in Riyadh
Barcelona vs. Real Madrid

Spanish Supercopa final
Kickoff: Sunday, 2 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. GMT

The second Clasico of the season is upon us! On Sunday in Saudi Arabia, Barcelona face Real Madrid to win the Spanish SuperCup, like last season and the season before and the season before that! Can we please have another similar game to the previous three?

In January 2023, the Catalans won 3-1 thanks to Gavi, Lewandowski and Pedri, with Xavi on the bench. In January 2024, a Vinicius hat trick led Real Madrid, with Carlo Ancelotti as manager, to a 4-1 win. In January 2025, Barça did even better with a 5-2 victory, scoring their five goals between the 22nd and the 45th+10 minute! They made the Merengues explode. It was Hansi Flick’s first trophy as Barcelona manager, and a masterclass from the attacking trio Lamine (one goal), Lewandowski (one goal, one assist) and Raphina (two goals, one assist).

Which way will it go this time?

The holders, behind a wonderful Raphinha, were impressive in their 5-0 destruction of Athletic Club in their semifinal while Xabi Alonso will take all the positives he can from their Madrid derby win against Atletico in Real Madrid’s semi. While Vinicius is still going through a long goal drought and Mbappé is out injured, Rodrygo is the man in form for the Madridistas, with three goals and three assists in his last six games in all competitions, after having almost not played at all before that!

MY PREDICTION: Barcelona 3, Real Madrid 2. There will be all goals, as always between these two teams and especially in this competition. Real won the first Clasico 2-1 at home in LaLiga back in October. I feel this one will go to Barcelona who are on an incredible nine game winning streak in all competitions!



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Transfer rumors, news: Dembélé to turn down PSG extension

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Transfer rumors, news: Dembélé to turn down PSG extension


Ousmane Dembélé is going to reject a new contract offer from Paris Saint-Germain, and Arsenal have their eye on Newcastle defender Tino Livramento. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.

Transfers home page | Men’s winter grades | Women’s grades

TOP STORIES

San Diego working on exit of Mexico star Lozano
Man City confirm Semenyo signing in $84m deal
Sources: Saka to sign new five-year deal at Arsenal

TRENDING RUMORS

– Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé is set to reject Paris Saint-Germain‘s contract extension offer, as per Footmercato. Despite being offered a new deal which would see him earn €30m per year, the forward is holding out for double that amount. Dembélé, 28, is entering the final two years of his current PSG contract this summer, which may draw the attention of clubs around Europe.

Arsenal are plotting to sign Newcastle United full-back Tino Livramento next summer, according to The Sun. Manchester City are also reported to be monitoring the 23-year-old, although it remains to be seen how concrete their interest is. Livramento is entering the final two years of his deal at Newcastle, with the club set to prioritize extending that in the coming months. A £60m valuation has previously been mooted for the England international, who is likely to feature at this summer’s World Cup.

England midfielder Georgia Stanway will leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season, she has announced. Stanway, who has 87 England caps, joined Bayern from Manchester City in 2022 and has won three league titles in Germany, as well as two European Championships with the Lionesses. “The decision to leave was incredibly difficult. I definitely didn’t make it lightly. I’ve made friends and memories here that will last a lifetime, and I’ve been able to develop enormously as both a player and a person.”

Aston Villa are exploring the idea of signing Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher this month, TalkSPORT has revealed. The former Chelsea star would welcome a return to the Premier League, having started just four La Liga games this season. Villa are open to the idea of signing him on loan with a future permanent transfer clause, a deal that would satisfy any short-term PSR concerns. Gallagher has been in Madrid since the summer of 2024 and has almost four years remaining on his current deal.

Marcus Rashford has already informed Barcelona of his desire to stay at the club beyond this season, according to Fabrizio Romano. While no formal agreement between the two parties is in place just yet, Barca are said to be “very happy” with the England international’s contributions. The Catalan giants have the option to sign Rashford permanently from Manchester United for around €30m this summer.

OTHER RUMORS

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1:38

Guardiola: Semenyo chose Manchester City after interest from ‘many clubs’

Pep Guardiola talks about Antoine Semenyo’s decision to join Manchester City from Bournemouth.

– Hungary midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai, 25, has reached an agreement in principle to extend his contract at Liverpool, rejecting interest from Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. (CaughtOffside)

– Atalanta forward Daniel Maldini is a January option for Juventus. The Italy international is viewed as a potential back-up for Kenan Yıldız. (Matteo Moretto)

– Rangers have enquired about the possibility of signing Sunderland duo Dan Neil and Romaine Mundle. Sunderland are open to letting the latter leave on loan this month, with Espanyol and Club Brugge also keen. (Sky Sports)

– Everton are tracking Genoa’s Brook Norton-Cuffy and Bologna’s Emil Holm as they target a new right-back signing. A new winter arrival would likely see Nathan Patterson leave the club on loan. (Sky Sports)

– Al Hilal are closing in on a deal to sign former Arsenal defender Pablo Marí in a €2m deal. (Fabrizio Romano)

– Manchester City have agreed a deal to sign Scottish wonderkid Keir McMeekin from Hearts. (Fabrizio Romano)

– Stuttgart striker Jovan Milošević is on the verge of joining Werder Bremen on loan until the end of the season, with a medical set to take place this weekend. (Sky Germany)

– Atlanta United are advancing on a deal to acquire left-back Elías Báez from San Lorenzo for a fee in the region of $3 million. (Tom Bogert)

Thomas Tuchel, Carlo Ancelotti and Mauricio Pochettino are all on Manchester United’s managerial shortlist to replace Ruben Amorim. (Daily Mirror)



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US figure skating power couple makes history with record breaking seventh national championship

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US figure skating power couple makes history with record breaking seventh national championship


NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

U.S. figure skating stars Madison Chock and Evan Bates made history on Saturday with their record-setting seventh U.S. Figure Skating title in their final competition before the Milan Cortina Olympics.

The three-time reigning world champions, performing a flamenco-style dance to a version of the Rolling Stones hit “Paint It Black” from the dystopian sci-fi Western show “Westworld,” produced a season-best free skate and finished with 228.87 points.

“The feeling that we got from the audience today was unlike anything I’ve ever felt before,” Chock said.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Madison Chock and Evan Bates of United States perform during ISU World Figure Skating Championships – Boston, at TD Garden,  on March 28, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts.  (Jurij Kodrun – International Skating Union/International Skating Union via Getty Images)

They’ll be the heavy favorites to win gold next month in Italy.

“I felt so much love and joy,” Chock continued, “and I’m so grateful for this moment.”

U.S. Figure Skating will announce its selections on Sunday.

Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik were second with 213.65 points and Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko were third with 206.95, making those two pairs the likely choices to join Chock and Bates on the American squad for the upcoming Winter Games.

The men’s medals also were to be decided on Saturday, though two-time world champion Ilia Malinin had built such a lead after his short program that the self-styled “Quad God” would have to stumble mightily to miss out on a fourth consecutive title.

The U.S. also has qualified the maximum of three men’s spots for the Winter Games, and competition is tight between second-place Tomoko Hiwatashi, fan favorite Jason Brown, Andrew Torgashev and Maxim Naumov to round out the nationals podium.

The last time Chock and Bates competed in the Olympics in 2022 in Beijing, they watched their gold initially go to an opponent who was later disqualified for doping violations.

Chock and Bates initially had to settle for team silver with their American teammates on the podium at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Team Russia and Kamila Valieva, who was 15 at the time, stood above them with their gold medals. 

It wasn’t until the end of January 2024, when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) found Valieva guilty of an anti-doping rule violation, when Chock, Bates and the U.S. were declared the rightful 2022 gold medalists. 

UN URGES COUNTRIES TO HONOR TRUCE DURING WINTER OLYMPICS, NOT DENY VISAS TO ANY NATION’S ATHLETES

Chock and Bates

Madison Chock and Evan Bates compete in championship ice dance at the U.S. figure skating championships Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio.  (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine, a banned substance, during an anti-doping test at the Russian Figure Skating Championships in December 2021. She was suspended for four years and stripped of all competitive results since that date.

Chock and Bates spoke about what their message to Valieva would be today during an interview at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee media summit in October. 

“It’s hard to, I think, imagine what a 15-year-old has gone through and under that kind of situation,” Bates said. “And I know how stressful it is, being an elite athlete as an adult, as a 36-year-old. And I think that grace should be given to humans across the board. And we can never really know the full situation, at least from our point of view. … I genuinely don’t know what I would say to her.”

Chock added, “I would just wish her well like as I would. I think life is short. And, at the end of the day, we’re all human just going through our own human experience together. And regardless of what someone has or hasn’t done and how it has affected you, I think it’s important to remember we’re humans as a collective, and we’re all here for this, our one moment on earth, at the same time. And I just wish people to have healthy, happy lives, full of people that love them.”

Chock and Bates had to wait more than two years after the initial Olympics to get their rightful gold medals, and they were finally presented with them during a ceremony at the Paris Olympics last summer.

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Madison Chock and Evan Bates

Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the USA perform in the Gala Exhibition during the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final Nagoya at IG Arena on December 07, 2025 in Nagoya, Japan.  (Atsushi Tomura – International Skating Union/International Skating Union via Getty Images)

Chock, Bates and teammates Karen Chen, Nathan Chen, Zachary Donohue, Brandon Frazier, Madison Hubbell, Alexa Knierim and Vincent Zhou were given a specialized gold medal ceremony to receive the medals in front of more than 13,000 fans. 

Chock and Bates became the first ice dancers to win three consecutive world championships in nearly three decades in March when they defeated Canadian rivals Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
 





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Clock is ticking for Frank at Spurs, with dwindling evidence he deserves extra time

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Clock is ticking for Frank at Spurs, with dwindling evidence he deserves extra time


LONDON — The previous Tottenham Hotspur head coach survived last season by having a trophy to play for. So where does Thomas Frank turn to now for inspiration?

Spurs’ 2-1 home defeat to Aston Villa ended their FA Cup campaign at the earliest possible opportunity. They are already out of the Carabao Cup and languish 14th in the Premier League. They still harbor hopes of reaching the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds, but not even the most optimistic Tottenham fan would give them a chance of winning Europe’s toughest club competition.

Frank will consequently feel very exposed right now. Ange Postecoglou had the shield of a Europa League campaign to bat away some of the mounting criticism of his tenure. It ultimately ended in glory, too, as Spurs won their first trophy in 17 years by lifting the Europa League in May. But his team’s underlying underperformance over such a long period of time still led to a change in the dugout.

There are deep-rooted problems that Frank has inherited: an imbalanced squad short on quality, an impatient fan base and a porous defense. The problem is, it is getting harder to see any signs of progress in resolving them.


Biggest FA Cup shock ever: Macclesfield stun holders Crystal Palace
FA Cup third round upsets this weekend: Macclesfield, Wrexham giant killers


Tottenham’s early-season defensive resilience and set-piece prowess has dissipated. Villa eased into a 2-0 halftime lead here through goals from Emi Buendia and Donyell Malen, both well-worked but given undue space and time to play.

Their attack continues to look disjointed, even if Spurs rallied after the break. Wilson Odobert halved the deficit with a low drive on 54 minutes and although they found some spirit and intensity, Spurs ended with an expected goals figure of 0.55. This was not as bad as some of the toothless performances Frank has presided over, but nevertheless, they couldn’t consistently threaten Villa’s goal.

The modicum of second-half improvement can be interpreted two ways: It was either the dying embers of a failed regime or a flash of hope that Frank can elicit a longer-lasting uptick.

The Tottenham hierarchy now faces a test of nerve. Premier League games against West Ham United and Burnley come next. Both teams are currently in the bottom three. Failure to win either of those games would leave Frank’s future hanging by a thread.

There was a nod to the past here with Spurs’ matchday squad and program commemorating the 125-year anniversary of their first FA Cup win in 1901. Frank often talks about the future being brighter, when long-term absentees such as striker Dominic Solanke — who returned for the final seven minutes here after ankle surgery — attacker Dejan Kulusevski and midfielder James Maddison return to a side more steeped in his ideas.

Looking at the past and future is one thing, but the present is becoming a major problem. Spurs fans would be forgiven for thinking their season is petering out halfway through.

“Of course it is disappointing,” said Frank. “We are all hurt. There’s nothing we want to do more than to get through to the next round, no matter who we face. We played at home, we had a good opportunity.

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t go through. We went with full strength in terms of how we could do it. We all look back at the game and think we could do better in the first half, second half.”

The full-time fracas involving Villa striker Ollie Watkins, Spurs midfielder João Palhinha and a raft of other players was the sort of dust-up that often occurs at the end of a game, but cynics would put it alongside the loss of composure and discipline that is threatening to become a concerning trait under Frank. Perhaps that was why Frank took the unusual step of blaming Watkins, who went to acknowledge the Villa fans while very close to Palhinha.

“Of course, it is all about keeping a cool head,” he said. “The players gave everything out there, losing a tight game, the season is not going perfect and I think Ollie is very provoking in the way he’s going down to celebrate in front of the Villa fans.

“He is just walking into João and he could just easily walk around. Everyone who has a been of a competitive nature, it is difficult, that can trigger things.”

It can, but Spurs have been triggered by a lot lately, whether it is clashing with fans at Bournemouth in midweek or Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven appearing to snub Frank at full time of their defeat to Chelsea in November. Cristian Romero was suspended here after a red card against Liverpool, having received an extra game ban for “acting improperly by failing to leave the field of play promptly” following last month’s red card against Liverpool.

It all adds to a concerning wider picture. When Spurs sacked Postecoglou, a line from their accompanying club statement read: “It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond.”

That belief is being tested to the limit now.



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