Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski, left, is congratulated by Fermin Lopez, center, and Lamine Yamal (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Barcelona strengthened their grip on the La Liga title race with a commanding 3-0 victory over Mallorca on Saturday, opening up a four-point lead at the top of the table. Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal played a central role, responding to an earlier miss with a stunning long-range finish that underlined his growing influence. Robert Lewandowski set Barça on their way in the first half before 18-year-old academy graduate Marc Bernal wrapped up the points late on with the first goal of his senior career. The result gives Barcelona breathing space at the summit, although second-placed Real Madrid have the chance to cut the deficit to a single point when they travel to Valencia on Sunday. Lewandowski broke the deadlock in the 29th minute, reacting quickest after Marcus Rashford’s initial effort down the left was blocked. The striker calmly brought the ball under control, shifted it away from a defender and finished with precision from close range. Rashford’s growing confidence was evident again just before the interval. His curling free kick in stoppage time forced an excellent save from Mallorca goalkeeper Leo Roman. The rebound dropped invitingly for Jules Koundé inside the area, but his mishit effort fell to Yamal, who surprisingly failed to convert from virtually on the goal line. Lewandowski, one of the game’s most prolific scorers with more than 650 club goals to his name, was quick to encourage the young winger after the miss. Yamal made amends in emphatic fashion in the 61st minute. Skipping past a defender on the edge of the box, he unleashed a fierce, dipping left-footed strike into the bottom corner, leaving Roman rooted to the spot. Both Yamal and Lewandowski were substituted later in the match and watched on approvingly as Bernal added the third in the 83rd minute. Barcelona cut through Mallorca’s midfield with a sharp passing move that released the teenager, who showed impressive composure to glide past a defender and slot the ball neatly inside the post. Elsewhere in La Liga, two fixtures were postponed. Rayo Vallecano’s home clash with Oviedo was called off due to safety concerns over the pitch at Vallecas Stadium, while Sevilla’s match against Girona was also postponed because of adverse weather. Oviedo said it understood the decision but criticised the late notice and confirmed it was considering legal action.
Nigeria’s Falconets secured a narrow 1-0 win over Senegal in the first leg of their third-round qualifier for the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup.
The match was played at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex in Abeokuta and was a tense contest, with both teams well organised in defence.
Nigeria controlled most of the early play but struggled to create clear scoring chances. Senegal stayed compact and closed down spaces, making it difficult for the Falconets to break through in the first half.
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The Falconets suffered a blow before half-time when forward Janet Akekoromowei was stretchered off with an injury.
After the break, Nigeria came out stronger and found the breakthrough. Chinaza Kindness scored the winning goal with a powerful close-range header, rising above the Senegalese defenders.
Senegal pushed forward in search of an equaliser and increased the pressure as the game went on. However, Nigeria stayed calm and organised at the back to protect their lead.
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The win gives the Falconets a slim advantage ahead of the second leg, which will be played on Saturday, 14 February, at the Stade Lat-Dior in Thiès. Nigeria will aim to finish the job and book their place in the next round of qualification.
Lindsey Vonn’s remarkable comeback to the Olympic Games is nearly complete.
Vonn completed her training in the women’s downhill on Friday and Saturday, a big test after she tore her ACL just over a week ago in a World Cup race. With her training complete, she will compete at 5:30 a.m. ET on Sunday in the women’s downhill final.
Vonn will also compete in the women’s team combined downhill and the women’s super-G.
Lindsey Vonn speeds down the course during alpine skiing women’s downhill official training at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, on Feb. 6, 2026.(AP Photo/Marco Trovati)
The 41-year-old will participate in the women’s team combined official training on Monday, Feb. 9, at 5:30 a.m. ET. She will then compete in the actual event on Tuesday, Feb. 10, at 4:30 a.m. ET and 8 a.m. ET.
Her final event is on Thursday, the women’s super-G, at 5:30 a.m. ET.
After Vonn was injured last week, many thought it would rule her out of the Olympics, but the Minnesota native has fought through. On X, she clarified that her ACL is 100% ruptured.
Franjo von Allmen speeds down the course during an alpine skiing men’s downhill race at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Bormio, Italy. The race took place on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026.(AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
An ACL tear normally entails a recovery that lasts about a year, but Vonn plans to fight through it.
She made a stunning comeback to the sport last year after nearly six years away from competition. Her return followed a partial titanium replacement inserted into her right knee, which she had in 2024.
Lindsey Vonn, right, and Breezy Johnson stand in the finish area during an alpine skiing women’s downhill official training at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, on Feb. 6, 2026.(AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)
The Team USA legend is the second-most successful woman in World Cup history with 84 wins. She has won eight World Championship medals.
Vonn won a gold medal in the downhill and a bronze medal in the super-G in the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, and a bronze medal in the downhill at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Games. She will look to add to her collection in Italy.
Adrian Bott is fully aware of the tough assignment Watson faces in the Eskimo Prince Stakes, pinning hopes on the budding three-year-old exploiting his fitness superiority.
Watson has triumphed in both appearances this term, opening with a resounding score at Kembla Grange and backing it up with a polished effort at Canterbury.
The uptick in performances is ascribed by Bott to the gelding surgery after his introductory campaign, ahead of the horse’s most demanding outing in the Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday.
“He was gelded after that first ‘prep’ and that’s a big factor in the improvement we’ve seen in him. His two runs have been excellent,” Bott said.
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“He wasn’t coltish, but things weren’t falling into place. He would show something at home but under pressure in trials or on race day, he was doing a few things wrong and mentally wasn’t ready yet.
“It has helped him focus on what needs to be done and bring that work we’ve seen at home to the races.”
Seven foes line up against Watson at Randwick, incorporating Golden Rose minor placers Wodeton and Tempted, stakes conqueror Napoleonic, and superior weighted Rivellino.
Since all are restarting, Bott banks on Watson’s current race-hardened state to bridge the gap in major race pedigree.
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“That’s the biggest advantage he’s got going into the race is that bit of race fitness that he’s carrying. He’s coming off two nice wins and there is further improvement again,” he said.
In the card’s marquee race, the $2 million Inglis Millennium (1100m), Tulloch Lodge enters forcefully via Golden Gift finisher Plagiarism.
Bott observes the colt aligns closely with 2024 winner Fully Lit at this phase, both handled by RedFox Racing interests.
“Fully Lit had the one run going into it in that preparation. Plagiarism has had the benefit of experience from a previous campaign, so he’s well-seasoned in that regard,” he said.
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“He looks a natural running two-year-old, which we saw (in the Golden Gift).
“I think that form will stack up, and he seems to be back in good shape off the back of a couple of nice trials.”
Fans should visit the leading racing betting markets to place wagers on the Eskimo Prince Stakes.
Michael Carrick is not being fooled into thinking Manchester United have “cracked it” after his dream start continued by beating a Tottenham side that captain Cristian Romero apologised to after his costly red card.
A year that began with Ruben Amorim’s abrupt exit and some underwhelming results has been transformed by the appointment of the Red Devils’ former midfielder, captain and coach for the remainder of the campaign.
Carrick followed up wins against Manchester City, Arsenal and Fulham with a 2-0 triumph against his former club Spurs on Saturday lunchtime, when Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes wrapped up a deserved win against the 10-man visitors at Old Trafford.
It was the first time in two years that United have won four Premier League games in a row and left them fourth on 44 points – two points more than they managed last season.
“It’s difficult to comment in terms of what’s changed,” Ruben Amorim’s successor Carrick said. “I’m pleased with the buy-in, connection and everyone’s invested in it. I think that goes a long way.
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“At certain times cans see the game flow in different ways and you can look very different, good or bad.
“But I think being in a real good emotional place helps you and, again, that proved to be the case.
“It was different today. We had to manage the game, control the game, and show patience and good quality, but there’s different ways to do it.
“The four games we’ve had have all slightly looked different, but we’re not getting carried away. I’m not sitting here thinking ‘everything’s great, we’ve cracked it’. There’s a lot of work to do so, and I’m fully aware of that.”
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Carrick was full of praise for star United skipper Fernandes on a day when Tottenham captain’s recklessness damaged his side.
Thomas Frank defended Romero as he stressed he “clearly tried to go for the ball” when he caught Casemiro on the ankle and received a 29th minute red card.
“He was sorry for the incident,” the Spurs boss said. “He apologised to his team-mates in the changing room.
“I think he’s one of the most important players. When he performs at his top, he’s driving the team.”
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This was Romero’s sixth red card in all competitions since making his Tottenham debut in August 2021 – more than any other Premier League player has received during that period.
That statistic surprised Frank, who says he has no regrets about naming him captain and will not consider that position at the end of a week when he questioned Spurs’ “disgraceful” squad depth on social media.
Romero will start a four-match ban as Spurs host Newcastle on Tuesday, when Destiny Udogie could also be absent for injury-hit Spurs as they seek to win a first Premier League game of 2026.
“We haven’t won enough in the Premier League,” Frank said after overseeing a seventh successive top-flight match without a win. “We’re just coming on the back end of four good games, where we also showed a lot of resilience.
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“Before that, we also did it, but we didn’t get enough of the results where we turned around second half, so I think there’s still a lot to hang the hat on in terms of resilience.
“But, of course, the performances need to be backed up by doing a little bit more and keep doing the right things because then the results will turn.”
From Super Bowl props like Jaxon Smith-Njigba first touchdown scorer (+500) to Patriots vs. Seahawks (-4.5) picks against the spread, to over/under picks (45.5), to money-line picks (Seahawks -230, Patriots +190), your 2026 Super Bowl parlay can go in a number of different directions. Another option is guessing the margin of victory of the game, and there’s an NFL betting trend that could help in that regard. Entering Super Bowl 60 three of the last four editions of The Big Game have been decided by exactly 3 points. So, you could back the game’s winning margin to be exactly 3 points in a 2026 Super Bowl SGP, which would return +475.
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For Super Bowl LX, one of the picks featured in the longshot parlay is Patriots receiver Kayshon Boutte as an anytime TD scorer (+330). Despite ranking 68th amongst wideouts in catches (33) in the regular season, Boutte was 18th in positional receiving touchdowns (6). He added another score in the divisional round and then got a red-zone target in the AFC Title Game. While Seattle has an elite defense, through the air is where to exploit that unit. Eight of the last 10 touchdowns the Seahawks have allowed have been via the pass, including all three they gave up in the NFC title game.
Boutte has more touchdowns this season than the Pats leading receiver, Stefon Diggs, despite the latter having twice as many targets and receptions. The model projects Boutte to score 0.31 touchdowns, which matches Hunter Henry for the highest amongst all Patriots and brings great value to these plus-money odds as one leg of a Super Bowl SGP. See the rest of the picks in the Super Bowl LX same game parlay here, and you can bet Boutte as an anytime TD scorer using the DraftKings promo code, which offers $300 in bonus bets if your bet wins right here:
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How to make NFL parlay picks for a payout of $15,000
Following his retirement, Terence Crawford is being placed into many fans’ list as one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters since the turn of the millennium. Now, ‘Bud’ has revealed how he believes he outperformed Floyd Mayweather and Roy Jones Jr.
Crawford defeated Canelo Alvarez back in September in a win that will be referenced for generations, becoming boxing’s second three-division undisputed world champion, 87 years after Henry Armstrong became the first.
Off the back of that career-best triumph, Crawford opted to walk away from the sport whilst he was sat atop it, hanging up the gloves with both an undefeated record after 42 fights and the status of being a five-division world champion.
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Reflecting upon his time in the ring, Crawford told The Pivot Podcast of his pride in becoming the undisputed super-lightweight champion back in 2017, and why he feels he’s surpassed Mayweather and Jones Jr.
“I was on a mission. That mindset was, ‘I am not celebrating this fight, because I am trying to get to that fight. That is the fight that I want to get, to show y’all, these are just stepping stones’, to me, in my mind.
“I celebrated being undisputed. That was the greatest feeling ever because nobody did it in so long. I was the third person in the four-belt era to do it, nobody was thinking about or trying to become undisputed.
“I set my sights out, I said that I wanted all the belts. Once I did that, it was like ‘man, Floyd didn’t do this, Pacquiao didn’t do this, what can they say? Roy Jones Jr, my favourite fighter, didn’t do this’.
“I got something over them, that they didn’t do in their career. I’m not saying that they couldn’t have done it, but they didn’t do it.”
Recalling Learning To Fly’s barrier-conquering win in the Inglis Millennium three years prior, Chad Schofield seeks an encore performance.
Chad Schofield is well-founded in his view that a broad starting position poses no fatal threat to Screen Idol, prepared by John Thompson, in the $2 million Inglis Millennium at Randwick.
The elite Sydney hoop has claimed the prize twice, lately with Learning To Fly who mirrored Screen Idol’s second-outermost barrier.
“When I won on Learning To Fly, it drew wide (barrier 15 of 16) too,” Schofield said.
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“This is a different type of filly. Learning To Fly sat last and rounded them up. This filly is a bit speedier, so we’ll see.”
A daughter of Nature Strip’s sire Nicconi, Screen Idol exceeded her debut odds to almost defeat Shiki in the Gimcrack Stakes (1000m).
She has undergone a pair of trials for her seasonal reappearance, and Schofield, ever-present with her, affirms her continued development.
“She’s going really well. She was unlucky not to win the Gimcrack. She covered ground that day and just kept finding the line,” he said.
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“John tipped her out and she has come back a more mature, stronger filly. She’s got no favours from the barrier draw but she’ll be tough. She will be there late.”
Schofield connects with debutant Threads from Godolphin in the Listed Lonhro Plate (1000m), optimistic after shared trial work.
Under Ciaron Maher’s guidance, Threads, first to race from Group 3 winner Tailleur, is tipped by Schofield for prominent juvenile targets.
“I think he’s a very talented two-year-old colt and it’s exciting to kick him off on Saturday,” he said.
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“It’s a good start off race for him. He’s drawn well and I think he’s a horse that could race into the two-year-old features.”
Schofield’s Randwick slate features 10 rides, topped by Maher’s premier filly Tempted in the Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m). Fans of the 2026 Inglis Millennium can find competitive prices in the racing betting markets.
Cole Palmer scored a hat‑trick for Chelsea, and Bruno Fernandes has fuelled speculation by sending the midfielder a message following recent links to Manchester United
22:42, 07 Feb 2026Updated 22:45, 07 Feb 2026
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Bruno Fernandes has sent Cole Palmer a message following Chelsea’s 3–1 win over Wolves, in which the forward scored a hat‑trick. Palmer returned to the scoresheet in a season which has been disrupted by injuries so far.
The 23‑year‑old struck all three goals for Chelsea in the first half at Molineux, underlining the impact he can make on a match. During his first season at Stamford Bridge, Palmer netted 27 goals in all competitions, collected multiple individual awards, and established himself as a regular for England.
His performances even sparked transfer speculation during the January window, with reports linking him to Manchester United amid claims he was feeling homesick.
Although Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior dismissed those rumours, it’s clear that figures at United have been keeping a close eye on his progress.
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Fernandes was spotted in the comments section of Palmer’s Instagram post after the match, where the Chelsea star shared several snaps from the game alongside the caption: “Just enjoy.”
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The Portuguese skipper replied: “What a player,” followed by a clapping emoji. His comment quickly gained more than 3,900 likes and hundreds of replies.
Some fans jokingly called him “agent Bruno,” while another wrote: “I see what you’re doing here, mate.”
Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford, currently on loan at Barcelona from United, also liked the post.
Palmer has been candid about the fact that he was a United fan as a child, despite coming through the ranks at rival City’s academy.
He has also disclosed that he looked up to United legend Wayne Rooney when he was younger.
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As Palmer looks to rediscover his best form, Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior was delighted with what he saw, saying: “We know what a world-class player he is.
“He’s played a lot of football over the last year with not much rest. When he’s at his best, he’s unstoppable.
“I’m delighted to be working with him.”
However, following the game Palmer also gave his views on the recent speculation over his future, telling the BBC: “Everyone loves to chat rubbish, don’t they? I don’t pay too much attention to it.
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“You see things. But I feel like I’ve come from a strong place anyway so I don’t pay attention to it.”
Wigan said Glenn Whelan and Graham Barrow will take charge of the first team on an interim basis while the club “will work quickly to identify and appoint” a new head coach.
The club also thanked Lowe for “his efforts and wishes him all the best for the future”.
Lowe previously won promotion from League Two with Bury and Plymouth and finished 13th, 12th and 10th in the Championship with Preston.
Having arrived at the club at the tail end of the 2024-25 season, Lowe guided Wigan to a 15th-placed finish in the table.
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After winning against Northampton on the opening day of this season, Wigan’s form soon tailed off as they secured just three victories from 17 matches in all competitions between late August and late November.
Wigan’s next match is at home in the league against Reading on Tuesday (19:45 GMT) before they travel to face Premier League leaders Arsenal in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday, 15 February (16:30).
