{"id":33963,"date":"2025-11-16T13:19:22","date_gmt":"2025-11-16T13:19:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/?p=33963"},"modified":"2025-11-16T13:19:22","modified_gmt":"2025-11-16T13:19:22","slug":"world-cup-qualifying-latest-wsl-updates-gabriel-injury-scare-and-more-matchday-live-soccer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/?p=33963","title":{"rendered":"World Cup qualifying latest, WSL updates, Gabriel injury scare and more \u2013 matchday live | Soccer"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Things are hotting up in Budapest<\/strong> with around 40 minutes to go until Hungary v Republic of Ireland starts.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Hungary fans outside the ground. <\/span> Photograph: David Balogh\/Getty Images<\/span>No pyro. No party. <\/span> Photograph: David Balogh\/Getty Images<\/span>Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgr\u00edmsson inside the Pusk\u00e1s Ar\u00e9na in Budapest. <\/span> Photograph: Stephen McCarthy\/Sportsfile\/Getty ImagesShare<\/p>\n

Denmark hit by sickness bug before key Scotland clash<\/h2>\n

Big news for Scotland v Denmark before Tuesday\u2019s game: the visitors have been hit by a sickness bug!<\/p>\n

A sickness bug has disrupted Denmark\u2019s plans for their make-or-break World Cup qualifier with Scotland in Glasgow on Tuesday. Brian Riemer, the Danish head coach, has admitted he is concerned over the situation amid fears the ailment will spread further before kick-off.<\/p>\n

Joachim Andersen and Rasmus H\u00f8jland missed Denmark\u2019s surprising draw with Belarus on Saturday evening due to illness. The result in Copenhagen meant Scotland\u2019s 3-2 loss to Greece was immaterial for Steve Clarke\u2019s side. Scotland trail Denmark by a point in Group C as the teams prepare to meet in the final fixture. A draw will be sufficient for Denmark but the backdrop is fraught.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now we have Joachim Andersen, who is sick, and we have H\u00f8jlund, who is sick,\u201d said Riemer. \u201cAnd a staff member who is sick. We are in a situation where the doctor is on it. It is the season for such things. You can\u2019t protect yourself 100% but we are doing everything we can and right now our hope and assessment is that we have put a plug in it and that on Tuesday we have 24 men who are fit for a fight and ready to play.<\/p>\n

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Updated at\u00a008.19 EST<\/p>\n

Half-time scores in the WSL<\/h2>\n

Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea<\/strong><\/p>\n

Beata Olsson equalised for Liverpool before half-time, running from inside her own half beyond Chelsea\u2019s high back-line and finishing neatly past Peng.<\/p>\n

Aston Villa 1-1 London City Lionesses<\/strong><\/p>\n

Villa also equalised before the break, through Kirsty Hanson.<\/p>\n

West Ham 2-0 Everton<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hammerhead has inspired West Ham today: two quickfire goals from Anouk Denton and Amber Tysiak have given the home side a comfortable lead.<\/p>\n

Brighton 1-0 Leicester<\/strong><\/p>\n

A beautiful dinked finish from Madison Haley has given Brighton the advantage.<\/p>\n

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From bad to worse for Arsenal<\/strong>, with Italy manager Gennaro Gattuso revealing that Riccardo Calafiori has left the international squad after suffering with \u201ca few issues\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe tried Calafiori, he had a few issues,\u201d Gattuso told Sky Sports Italia. \u201cI thank him for his commitment. He stayed here for a week, he could have played perhaps, but it wouldn\u2019t have been fair to him or Arsenal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Italy are due to play group leaders Norway later today and are likely to finish second and go into the play-offs, they are three points adrift but have a far inferior goal difference and need to win by a nine-goal margin at the San Siro to automatically qualify. The prospect of Italy missing another major tournament remains a very real one.<\/p>\n

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Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalh\u00e3es suffers injury scare with Brazil<\/h2>\n

Arsenal suffered a major injury scare as defender Gabriel limped out of Brazil\u2019s friendly win over Senegal at the Emirates Stadium.<\/p>\n

The 27-year-old went down just before the hour mark and received treatment to his right thigh before being substituted by manager Carlo Ancelotti.<\/p>\n

Gabriel\u2019s absence would be a major blow for the Gunners after a fine start to the season based on a firm defence that has conceded just five goals in 11 Premier League games.<\/p>\n

\u201cBad? I don\u2019t know. He had an injury in his adductor,\u201d Ancelotti said. \u201cThe medical staff has to check tomorrow. We are really sorry for this, really disappointed. When a player has an injury, you hope they can recover well and soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chelsea\u2019s teenage winger Est\u00eav\u00e3o opened the scoring for Brazil and Manchester United midfielder Casemiro added the second from a free-kick. PA Media<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Another submission for an England XI<\/strong>, courtesy of Nick Poole via email.<\/p>\n

GK: Pickford, barring injury or spectacular loss of form looks certain to start.
RB: Reece James, please let him be fully fit!
CBs: Guehi and Stones
LB: Livrimento if fit (sat next to my daughter at Woodcote School occasionally)
CMs: Rice with either Anderson or Wharton, Anderson starts except for injury or loss of form
RW: Saka
10: Bellingham Foden or Rogers (I would think Rogers will start unless injury or aforementioned loss of form)
LW: got to be Eze, surely?
ST: Kane<\/p>\n

Lots of options from bench though including Palmer who might still wrest starting spot during tournament.<\/p>\n

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WSL GOAL(S) UPDATE!<\/h2>\n

Liverpool 0-1 Chelsea<\/strong><\/p>\n

Alyssa Thompson has curled a brilliant opener into the top bin, cutting inside from the left wing and unleashing her shot. No chance for Kirby in Liverpool\u2019s goal.<\/p>\n

Aston Villa 0-1 London City Lionesses<\/strong><\/p>\n

Saki Kumagai has scored her first WSL goal, nodding in at the back post from a corner.<\/p>\n

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Friday\u2019s Football Weekly<\/strong> is worth a listen if you are catching up with the Republic of Ireland.<\/p>\n

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Under two hours to go until Hungary v Republic of Ireland<\/strong>, the winner of which will secure a World Cup qualifying play-off. After a turbulent qualification campaign, the Republic secured a famous 2-0 win over Portugal to keep their hopes alive and earn an unlikely second place in Group F. Hungary require only a draw in Budapest but Ireland have their fate back in their own hands. Here\u2019s what manager Heimir Hallgr\u00edmsson had to say regarding his side\u2019s injury\/team news.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m tempted to play the same team. Will I do it? I don\u2019t know. The confidence is there and the belief is there. We will see how they are in training and take it from there.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone is fit apart from [Evan Ferguson]. We called him yesterday or he did a session yesterday, and he hasn\u2019t kicked the ball still. We talked to him and he feels that he would not be able to contribute much.<\/p>\n

\u201cI give a big-up to him, thinking about the team first. Obviously, every player would like to come, especially after the game in Dublin and join, but he thinks he would not contribute enough to be in the squad. So we leave him out and he just continues with Roma, with his rehabilitation.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Peeeeeeeep! Four WSL matches get underway.<\/h2>\n

Liverpool v Chelsea, Brighton v Leicester, Aston Villa v London City Lionesses and West Ham v Everton are a go go!<\/p>\n

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Regarding my question over that Bradford City mascot<\/strong>, Nathan Atkinson (Bradford Telegraph and Argus sports reporter) has been in touch.<\/p>\n

That would be the City Gent mascot Lenny Berry. The long-running fanzine of the same name is still running and sold on matchdays at Valley Parade, but alas Lenny is no more, after a rather turbulent 2013!<\/p>\n

Nathan then links to this Telegraph and Argus piece from 2013, from which I have taken the following copy. Absolutely extraordinary!<\/p>\n

Bradford City\u2019s famous City Gent mascot says he has been forced to quit by the club because he is no longer fat enough for the role after losing seven stones through illness.<\/p>\n

Life-long Bantams\u2019 fan Lenny Berry, who has played the bowler hat-wearing mascot for almost 20 years, refused an offer of wearing a \u2018Sumo-style\u2019 suit and costume head to continue as the character after bosses at the League One club said his appearance no longer matched the \u2018original concept\u2019.<\/p>\n

In a statement, City confirmed the main reason for asking Mr Berry to wear a padded costume was because his \u2018physical appearance\u2019 had changed from the original City Gent, former chairman the late Stafford Heginbotham.<\/p>\n

But the 59-year-old says he now looks different because he lost weight for health reasons after being diagnosed with diabetes in 2006.<\/p>\n

Last night, he said: \u201cI\u2019m am absolutely gutted. I am a grown man and this is something I have cried over. I\u2019ve been through the fire. I\u2019ve been through everything down there. When they did Save Our City I had my head shaved in the middle of the pitch and got 12-15 mascots to take part in a charity match. I don\u2019t want the club getting hurt, I love the club. If you cut me open I\u2019d be claret and amber.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a meeting I asked why it wasn\u2019t brought up six years ago when I first lost the weight,\u201d he said. \u201cThey said they knew about my health issues. Obviously I\u2019ve lost a lot of weight. I used to be 17 and a half stones, whereas I\u2019m now around ten and a half. I lost it in about 18 months after I found out I had diabetes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI used to have supporters chant things at me, like \u2018who ate all the pies\u2019. I used to get them going and then grab my belly. I play the part of the mascot though, through my face and my eyes. I\u2019ve always had a good rapport with fans\u201d.<\/p>\n

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Updated at\u00a007.02 EST<\/p>\n

It will be interesting to see if Villa<\/strong> can back up their excellent win away at Manchester United last weekend with victory today against London City Lionesses. Suzanne Wrack sat down with Villa\u2019s manager, Natalia Arroyo, earlier this week, which is worth a read.<\/p>\n

And have a look at that Chelsea bench, one that doesn\u2019t include Sam Kerr: Spencer, Bronze, Girma, Baltimore, Jean-Francois, Nusken, Hamano, James, Beever-Jones.<\/p>\n

The Blues are absolutely stacked in every position and will close the gap on City at the top of the table to one point if they can beat Liverpool today.<\/p>\n

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WSL team news!<\/h2>\n

Liverpool v Chelsea<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Liverpool:<\/strong> Kirby, Evans, Clark, Fisk, Woodham, Nagano, Kerr, Holland, Kapocs, Enderby, Olsson.
Subs:<\/strong> Laws, Borggrafe, Parry, Szymczak, Kiernan, Lundgaard, MacLean, Bonner, Silcock.<\/p>\n

Chelsea:<\/strong> Peng, Carpenter, Bjorn, Bright, Charles, Walsh, Kaneryd, Cuthbert, Kaptein, Thompson, Macario.
Subs:<\/strong> Spencer, Bronze, Girma, Baltimore, Jean-Francois, Nusken, Hamano, James, Beever-Jones.<\/p>\n

Brighton v Leicester<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Brighton:<\/strong> Nnadozie, Rule, Mpome, Minami, Olislagers, Symonds, Cankovic, Seike, Noordam, McLauchlan, Haley.
Subs:<\/strong> Baggaley, Poulter, Vanegas, Kafaji, Carabali, Hayes, Auee, Tsunoda, Martin.<\/p>\n

Leicester:<\/strong> Leitzig, Van Egmond, Kees, Swaby, Boureille, Tierney, McLoughlin, Ale, Cain, O\u2019Brien, Rantala.
Subs:<\/strong> Clark, Keane, Wellesley-Smith, Thibaud, Sherwood, Las, Eiriksdottir.<\/p>\n

Aston Villa v London City Lionesses<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Aston Villa:<\/strong> D\u2019Angelo, Wilms, Patten, Deslandes, Grant, Kearns, Taylor, Kendall, Maritz, Mullett, Hanson.
Subs:<\/strong> Roebuck, Sallaway, Mayling, Maltby, Salmon, Daly.<\/p>\n

London City Lionesses:<\/strong> Lete, Fernandez, Sangare, Linari, Imuran, Kumagai, Geyoro, Godfrey, Asllani, Parris, Goodwin.
Subs:<\/strong> Poor, Pattinson, Goldie, Perez, Franssi, Roddar, Lindstrom, Zelem, Kennedy.<\/p>\n

West Ham v Everton<\/strong><\/h2>\n

West Ham:<\/strong> Szemik, Endo, Tysiak, Zadorsky, Hanshaw, Gorry, Siren, Denton, Ueki, Martinez, Asseyi.
Subs:<\/strong> Walsh, Belloumou, Pavi, Csiki, Brasero Carreira, Morgan, Wandeler, Houssein, Cemal.<\/p>\n

Everton:<\/strong> Ramsey, Fernandez, Mace, Ishikawa, Kitagawa, Van Gool, Wheeler, Vignola, Hayashi, Payne, Robinson.
Subs:<\/strong> Brosnan, Hobson, Ladd, Weir, Snoeijs, Holmgaard, Momiki, Jones.<\/p>\n

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I just popped \u2018West Ham mascot\u2019<\/strong> into my search bar for our picture library and found this Tom Jenkins gem from 2000. Who is the gentleman stood next to Stuart McCall? Is that just Bradford City\u2019s mascot for the day, or a more notable figure?<\/p>\n

<\/span> Photograph: Tom Jenkins\/The GuardianShare<\/p>\n

Any discussion about England should have Palmer as a starter. He is a player who has magic in his boots as he has shown in the biggest games. He has hardly had a chance to shine yet for England as most of his appearances have been as a substitute, or he has been replaced by inferior players to give them a little game time. He has only played one 90 minute international game.<\/p>\n

I agree that Palmer does seem a little under-appreciated in an England shirt, perhaps even by me (based upon my own England XI below), although I wouldn\u2019t say Bellingham or Foden are \u201cinferior\u201d. Whoever is left out, including Rogers, Tuchel will take some flak for his selection, unless we romp every game 4-0, which of course we won\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Fitness issues have played a part, but Palmer finds himself on the outside of things with England in the same way he did with City. Chelsea\u2019s attack is built around Palmer, the whole team is geared towards creating pockets of space for him, giving him plenty of the ball in the right areas of the pitch, etc. It\u2019s the same with Bayern\/Kane, and Arsenal\/Saka to an extent. Tuchel cannot warp this England side to suit just Palmer, so he is asked to thrive in a system that is not built for him. Just like at Manchester City.<\/p>\n

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I am delighted to say that West Ham United<\/strong>\u2019s mascot Hammerhead is present at the Chigwell Construction Stadium for the WSL match against Everton. I have just Googled the genesis of Hammerhead, and found this press release from 2011.<\/p>\n

Foundered in the Thames Iron Works many decades ago, the workers who crafted a new champion drew on the spirits of heroes old and new to create the ultimate goal machine.<\/p>\n

When a bolt of lightning hit the Iron Works, a mighty warrior of iron was born \u2013 Hammerhead.<\/p>\n

As strong as iron, as fast as Billy Bonds and blessed with the goalscoring prowess of Vic Watson, some say Hammerhead was once a shipbuilder at the Thames Iron Works, while others say he is a knight from the historic Boleyn Castle.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Is the Chigwell Construction Stadium better than the London Stadium? Discuss. <\/span> Photograph: Leila Coker\/WSL Football\/Getty ImagesShare<\/p>\n

Hello everyone<\/strong>. Just under an hour to go until the four early WSL games kick-off (all times GMT). We will also have MBM coverage later of the late kick-off: the north London derby between Spurs and Arsenal.<\/p>\n

<\/span> Photograph: Guardian<\/p>\n

These are the current standings:<\/p>\n

The Gunners cannot afford to drop points again if they are to cling to a title race, especially with Manchester City winning their own derby on Saturday.<\/p>\n

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With that,<\/strong> I\u2019m going to hand over to Michael Butler<\/strong>. Thanks for your company, emails and England XIs; see you soon.<\/p>\n

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Another interesting England XI here.<\/strong> One question: do any of you see Cole Palmer as a challenger for Saka or should we only consider him as a No10?<\/p>\n

My preferred XI for England, allowing for some injured players toreturn:<\/p>\n

Pickford, James, Stones, Gu\u00e9hi, Hall, Anderson, Rice, Bellingham, Saka, Kane, Gordon.<\/p>\n

The likes of Livramento, Konsa, O’Reilly and Rashford I think are maybe a little unlucky not to start in this system, and then there’s the multitude of #10s who I think could all do a good job. Rogers fits the system well, but Foden and Palmer have more ability, just haven’t shown it consistently in an England shirt. I really like Eze as well, just think he suits more off the bench than the others. Wharton could replace Anderson, but at the moment there’s no reason not to drop the latter, looks to be a great fit for what has been a problem area.<\/p>\n

I like Livramento loads but I think a left-footed left-back is essential, especially if you play Rashford ahead of Gordon as he likes to veer inside.<\/p>\n

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\u201cNot for the first time,<\/strong> I pity Simon McMahon\u2019s liver,\u201d kettlepotblacks Matt Dony. \u201cNaturally, I\u2019m hoping Wales bulldoze their way into group Pot 3, but I\u2019d rather they avoid Scotland. I\u2019m not sure the footballing gods could cope with two teams finding so many creative new ways to make it desperately difficult for themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cEthan Ampadu will be a huge miss. He\u2019s so consistently reliable for Wales. Harry Wilson returning will help, though. He\u2019s the main spark these days. Mae\u2019n dod adre, Rob!<\/p>\n

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This is England 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n

AFC Rushden & Diamonds\u2019 game at Coventry Sphinx was abandoned on Saturday after sexist abuse was allegedly aimed at a female referee, both non-league clubs said.<\/p>\n

\u201cA comment of a sexist nature was allegedly directed toward the female match official towards the end of the first half. Attempts to identify the individual were unsuccessful,\u201d AFC Rushden & Diamonds said in a statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are deeply concerned and disappointed that such behaviour has occurred at one of our matches. Discriminatory language or actions of any kind have absolutely no plac<\/p>\n

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Thanks very much to Rogorn<\/strong> for this guide to the playoffs. This shows why Wales are desperate to beat North Macedonia on Tuesday and move into Pot 3 (I think, ask Rogorn to be sure).<\/p>\n

Likely (as it stands-ish) UEFA play-off draw pots for WC qualification (some teams might still change pots depending on the results of the last group stage matchday):<\/p>\n

Semifinals:<\/p>\n

Pot 1: Italy, Turkey, Ukraine, Poland
at home versus
Pot 4: Wales, Sweden, Romania, Northern Ireland<\/p>\n

Pot 2: Hungary, Scotland, Slovakia, Czech Republic
at home versus
Pot 3: Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo<\/p>\n

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It\u2019ll be interesting to see which players Thomas Tuchel turns to if England<\/strong> are, say, 1-1 or 2-1 down against France with 20 minutes to go. Cole Palmer\u2019s ability and ego (in a positive sense) make him a perfect fit. Trent Alexander-Arnold could become an impact sub from right-back, which never happened to Gary Neville.<\/p>\n

You need players who are effective against a low block, which is why I\u2019d be loath to rule out Ivan Toney at this stage.<\/p>\n

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Pickford; James, Stones\/Konsa*, Guehi, Lewis-Skelly**; Wharton Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon\/Rashford***; Kane.<\/p>\n

Wharton? Anderson has been one of, if not the best, players since he came into the England team. But yeah, let’s replace him with someone who hasn’t played at all.<\/p>\n

My team:<\/p>\n

Pickford, James, Stones, Guehi, O’Reilly, Anderson, Rice, Bellingham, Saka, Gordon, Kane.<\/p>\n

For me, Rashford too much of an individual talent compared to Gordon. Gordon a better team player<\/p>\n

Wharton is just a personal preference \u2013 I\u2019m obsessed with him in a way that isn\u2019t entirely appropriate, and think he could play for any team in the world. But I agree Anderson has been superb and it would be grossly unfair of leave him out.<\/p>\n

I haven\u2019t seen enough of O\u2019Reilly to form a judgement, though he was very impressive against Mo Salah last Sunday. Lewis-Skelly\u2019s lack of game time is a problem though; not sure what can be done about that because Arsenal won\u2019t loan him out in the second half of the season.<\/p>\n

The point about Gordon is a good one. I think that position is so important because you can\u2019t get lightning pace in the team anywhere else.<\/p>\n

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Updated at\u00a005.57 EST<\/p>\n

My colleague Michael Butler has picked his England XI.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pickford; James, Stones, Guehi, O\u2019Reilly; Wharton, Rice; Saka, Bellingham (unless Foden is on fire), Rashford; Kane.<\/p>\n

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Scotland v Denmark (Tuesday 7.45pm)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cLast night was wild, Rob,\u201d writes Simon McMahon. \u201cAll-day drinking is not big or clever. At one point I was being sick into my pint glass giving Clarke and his shower of charlatans masquerading as football players both barrels, effing and jeffing at the TV and switching to the darts in disgust, before ending up praying that Belarus held on in Denmark and celebrating a Scotland defeat. God knows what Tuesday will be like.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve just checked and I\u2019m down to cover the game for us, so please send in any drunken missives from, ooh, 9am?<\/p>\n

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On this day in 1996\u2026<\/strong> the first meeting between Alex Ferguson\u2019s Manchester United and Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal. Check out the technique from David Beckham, who was having a brilliant season in central midfield.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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Pick your best England XI<\/h2>\n

Oi! Listen up. If England were playing in a World Cup quarter-final tomorrow, and everyone was fit, what would be your XI?<\/p>\n

Post it BTL or email matchday.live@theguardian.com. Justify your decisions if you like, especially if you decide to go maverick. We\u2019ll stick some of the most interesting\/thoughtful responses in the blog.<\/p>\n

My team, off the top of my only partially caffeinated noggin, would be: Pickford; James, Stones\/Konsa*, Guehi, Lewis-Skelly**; Wharton, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Gordon\/Rashford***; Kane.<\/strong><\/p>\n

* Stones is he\u2019s fit and match-sharp<\/em><\/p>\n

** Assuming he gets enough game time<\/em><\/p>\n

*** Not too fussed which of these play but it has to be someone with blistering pace<\/em><\/p>\n

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Updated at\u00a004.59 EST<\/p>\n

On this day in 1998\u2026<\/strong> Nottingham Forest\u2019s Pierre van Hooijdonk feels the love after returning from strike action to score against Derby.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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Scotland v Denmark (Tuesday 7.45pm)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Steve Clarke has already given his pre-match teamtalk \u2013 not to his players but to the Tartan Army.<\/p>\n

We need positive backing. One of my favourite sayings for the players is \u2018play with the anticipation of success and not the fear of failure\u2019. I\u2019m going to ask the Hampden crowd to do that on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n

We need them for the first minute to be with us and in the difficult moments in the game to be especially with us. That\u2019s what this group of players deserve and, if they get that, I\u2019m pretty sure we can do something special.<\/p>\n

I think we can inspire each other. The team can inspire the fans and the fans can inspire the team.<\/p>\n

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Ethan Ampadu and Jordan James<\/strong> will miss Wales\u2019 match against North Macedonia on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am gutted,\u201d said Ampadu. \u201cIf it was a challenge that was a bit reckless or silly I would be frustrated with myself. It\u2019s annoying because I don\u2019t think it was a yellow. I don\u2019t think I touched the guy and I won the ball.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo miss the opportunity to represent your country is always hard and I\u2019m really disappointed with that.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Updated at\u00a005.06 EST<\/p>\n

Group J: Liechtenstein 0-1 Wales<\/h2>\n

Wales<\/strong> continued their excellent record under Craig Bellamy with an admittedly nervy 1-0 win over Liechtenstein. While they can still mathematically secure automatic qualification, the reality is that Wales \u2013 who have already qualified for the playoffs via the Nations League \u2013 need to beat North Macedonia at home on Tuesday to secure second place and a (theoretically) more favourable playoff draw. Confused? That\u2019s okay: all I need are the three digits on the back card.<\/p>\n

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Group B: Switzerland 4-1 Sweden<\/h2>\n

Sweden were plugged 4-1 by Switzerland in Graham Potter\u2019s first game, leaving them bottom of Group B with one point from five games. But they are guaranteed a playoff place by virtue of the Nations League, so onwards.<\/p>\n

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In my endearingly humble opinion<\/strong>, Sid Lowe\u2019s interviews are consistently among the best things on this site. His latest, with Cristhian Mosquera, is no exception.<\/p>\n

ShareJonathan Wilson<\/span><\/p>\n

Watching Micky van de Ven surge through<\/strong> pretty much the entire FC Copenhagen team in the Champions League last week, two sensations occurred. The first was awe, that somebody so powerful and so quick would still have the composure to finish as he did. And the second was that this didn\u2019t feel entirely fair. It was as though Gulliver had landed himself a deal in the Lilliput Premier League.<\/p>\n

The same evening, Liverpool, who have at times struggled physically in the Premier League this season, bullied Real Madrid, their threat at set plays so marked that eventually it was the 5ft 7in Alexis Mac Allister who headed the vital goal. The following day, Newcastle swatted Athletic Bilbao aside, largely by being bigger than them: for the opening goal, the Spanish side\u2019s defence appears to have looked at Dan Burn and decided there was no point even trying to mark him.<\/p>\n

ShareJacob Steinberg<\/span><\/p>\n

Thomas Tuchel has said he would rather England lose their final World Cup qualifier<\/strong> to Albania than any of his players risk picking up a red card that would rule them out of the start of next summer\u2019s tournament.<\/p>\n

The head coach has taken note of Portugal\u2019s Cristiano Ronaldo possibly facing a two-game ban at the World Cup after his dismissal against the Republic of Ireland on Thursday and will remind his side about the importance of discipline at the Air Albania Arena on Sunday night. Tuchel does not want any needless slips from England, who have already won their qualifying group, and will even tell his players to think twice before fouling an opponent who is through on goal.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is important,\u201d the German said. \u201cI\u2019m aware of it and we will talk about it. No red cards please. We are through and we are in a position with last man then the player holds the shirt he gets the red card. If there\u2019s a doubt then it would be smarter not to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Updated at\u00a003.56 EST<\/p>\n

WSL: Man City 3-0 Man Utd<\/h2>\n

Manchester City are four points clear at the top of the WSL after a blistering first-half performance in the derby. Sophie Downey reports.<\/p>\n

ShareDavid Hytner<\/span><\/p>\n

For Harry Kane, it is a numbers game and they keep on coming.<\/strong> The England captain has 23 goals in 17 appearances for Bayern Munich this season, while for his country it is three in four. If he scores against Albania here on Sunday, he would equal Pel\u00e9\u2019s record in international football. Kane has 76 goals from 111 caps. The Brazil legend finished with 77 from 92. One more detail: Kane has failed to score in only six matches for club and country this season.<\/p>\n

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The state of play in Group K<\/h2>\n

England <\/strong>have qualified, Albania <\/strong>have clinched a playoff place. Next!<\/p>\n

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The state of play in Group I<\/h2>\n

Norway <\/strong>will qualify for their fourth World Cup, and their first since Before Haaland (aka 1998), unless they lose by nine goals in Italy<\/strong>. No, exactly. Italy have also secured a playoff place.<\/p>\n

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The state of play in Group F<\/h2>\n

Portugal <\/strong>need to win at home to Armenia to be certain of automatic qualification. A draw will be sufficient unless Hungary beat the Republic of Ireland by four goals.<\/p>\n

Hungary<\/strong> v Ireland<\/strong> is almost certainly a shootout for a playoff place; Hungary have the draw and home advantage.<\/p>\n

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The state of play in Group D<\/h2>\n

France<\/strong> have already qualified, as expected, with Ukraine<\/strong> and Iceland<\/strong> \u2013 who meet in Warsaw this afternoon \u2013 chasing a playoff place. They\u2019re level of points but Iceland effectively have the draw due to their superior goal difference.<\/p>\n

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The runners and riders for the 2026 World Cup<\/h2>\n

Thirty places have been filled, 18 remain.<\/p>\n

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Scotland, then. <\/strong>They went into last night\u2019s game in Greece knowing* they needed at least a draw to stay in contention for automatic qualification. They lose a thrilling gmae 3-2 \u2013 but somehow Belarus held Denmark to a 2-2 draw in Copenhagen.<\/p>\n

The upshot is that \u2013 gulp – if Scotland beat Denmark at Hampden on Tuesday night, they will \u2013 GULP! \u2013 qualify for their first World Cup finals since 1998.<\/p>\n

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Preamble<\/h2>\n

Oh, hi! You\u2019re up early. And why wouldn\u2019t you be on a big day for, among others, the Republic of Ireland and lovers of perfection. Ireland will secure a World Cup qualification playoff place if they beat Hungary in Budapest. And England, who play in Albania, are aiming to complete a perfect qualification campaign: eight games, eight wins, no goals conceded.<\/p>\n

Norway and Portugal should also clinch a place in next summer\u2019s finals, while Ukraine face Iceland in what is effectively a playoff to reach the playoffs.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll have build-up to those matches, plus reaction to last night\u2019s action in Group C. Scotland took a break from doing things the hard way and instead did it the weird way: despite a madcap 3-2 defeat in Greece, their hopes of automatic qualifiction remain alive after Belarus drew 2-2 against Denmark in Copenhagen.<\/p>\n

Last and emphatically not least, there are five games in the Women\u2019s Super League, including the small matter of Tottenham v Arsenal.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a full list of today\u2019s games in Uefa World Cup qualification and the WSL.<\/p>\n

Group F (2pm)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Group K (5pm)<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  • \n

    Albania v England<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Serbia v Latvia<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Group D (5pm)<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    • \n

      Azerbaijan v France<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    • \n

      Ukraine v Iceland<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Group I (7.45pm)<\/strong><\/p>\n

        \n
      • \n

        Israel v Moldova<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

      • \n

        Italy v Norway<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        WSL (all midday unless stated)<\/strong><\/p>\n

        Post your thoughts BTL or get in touch at matchday.live@theguardian.com<\/p>\n

        Share<\/p>\n

        Updated at\u00a003.10 EST<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Key events Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Things are hotting up in Budapest with around 40 minutes to go until Hungary v Republic of Ireland starts. Hungary fans outside the ground. Photograph: David Balogh\/Getty ImagesNo pyro. No party. Photograph: David Balogh\/Getty ImagesRepublic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgr\u00edmsson<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":33964,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[130,19383,796,1193,132,8422,8920,7671,1544,127,550,8140],"class_list":{"0":"post-33963","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-cup","9":"tag-gabriel","10":"tag-injury","11":"tag-latest","12":"tag-live","13":"tag-matchday","14":"tag-qualifying","15":"tag-scare","16":"tag-soccer","17":"tag-updates","18":"tag-world","19":"tag-wsl"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33963","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=33963"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33963\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/33964"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=33963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=33963"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=33963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}