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Morocco to test France’s title credentials in World Cup quarter-final showdown

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France‘s World Cup campaign has already tested their firepower, patience and nerves, but Thursday’s quarter-final against Morocco will offer Didier Deschamps‘ side something different: their first ​full football examination ‌of the tournament.

The meeting is a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semi-final ⁠when France ended Morocco’s historic run in Qatar, but this time the North Africans arrive not as surprise outsiders but as a confident, gifted side ‌who have been open about their ambition to win the tournament.

France reached the last eight ⁠after a 1-0 win over Paraguay, a game that demanded character and patience more than fluency. Paraguay sat deep, slowed the rhythm and forced France to find a way through a ​packed defensive structure.

Deschamps’ team did enough, with Kylian Mbappé scoring his seventh goal ‌at this World Cup, but the performance also underlined that the knockout stage is beginning to ask harder questions of a side whose attacking talent has carried them through much of the tournament.

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Read more‘A joy to watch’: World Cup fans embrace Les Bleus as Deschamps finally takes the brake off

Against Morocco, the challenge will be different. ‌Mohamed Ouahbi’s side have shown they can suffer, control spells of possession and punish opponents with speed and precision.

Their 3-0 win over Canada in the ​last 16 confirmed the impression of a team growing into the tournament after coming through the group stage unbeaten.

Morocco's Azzedine Ounahi is feted by teammates after scoring a brace against Canada.
Morocco’s Azzedine Ounahi is feted by teammates after scoring a brace against Canada. © David J. Phillip, AP

Morocco had already shown their level in a demanding group, collecting seven points from matches against Brazil, ​Scotland and Haiti, and their performances have backed up their stated belief that they are not merely ​here to repeat the emotional charge of 2022.

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France, by contrast, have yet ​to face a side with Morocco’s blend of technical quality, athletic intensity and self-belief. Sweden were brushed aside in the last 32, while Paraguay provided resistance ​without posing the same footballing threat Morocco are likely to bring.

Read moreWorld Cup 2026: Ounahi fires Morocco to quarter-finals with decisive brace

The quarter-final should offer the clearest indication yet of whether France’s attacking quartet can continue to bend the tournament to their will against opponents capable of hurting them in transition and testing their defensive balance.

They will probably be without midfielder Aurélien Tchouameni, who has been suffering ⁠from a muscle injury, while Morocco are expected to be without key striker Ismael Saibari.

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Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise and Bradley Barcola ⁠have given France one ​of the most dangerous forward lines at the World Cup, but Morocco’s organisation and confidence should provide a more complete measure of the team behind the big names. 

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)

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Rayan Cherki baffles Erling Haaland with X-rated reply after inspiring Man City win at Crystal Palace

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Rayan Cherki was not willing accept any lavish praise after inspiring Manchester City to a rampant win over Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

Cherki scored two stunning goals in the space five minutes to put City on course to an eventual 4-1 win at Selhurst Park, tiptoeing through the Palace defence to put the visitors 2-0 up on the 54th minute, before firing past Dean Henderson from range moments after the Eagles had got one back.

The Frenchman spoke to Sky Sports alongside team-mate Erling Haaland, who also bagged a brace on the night, at full-time, during which he received his player of the match award.

But in a move that surprised both Haaland and the interviewer, Cherki was heavily critical of his performance and used an expletive live on air to describe his outing, taking particular issue with his substitution late in the contest.

Erling Haaland (left) was baffled by Rayan Cherki's self-critical assessment
Erling Haaland (left) was baffled by Rayan Cherki’s self-critical assessment (AP)

“My performance is so-so,” he lamented. “In the first half, we didn’t find the space, I played so s***.

“When I see Enzo [Maresca] wants to change me, I don’t like that. I need to show them I want to play, I want to score, I want to give assists for Erling. Next time I want to give the ball around more.”

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Haaland then interjected, saying: “Just say what you actually mean. You scored two top goals!”

Cherki replied: “That is nothing. I want to give a goal for him.”

Cherki now has two goals and two assists to his name in the first two games of the Premier League season, after setting up both goals in the opening day win over Bournemouth last weekend.

“I’m very happy for the win, see you next week,” the midfielder added. “Pep [Guardiola] was a big story, we will start another story. We want to prove it and are here for that.”

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Manly Sea Eagles vs St. George Illawarra Dragons Tips, Odds, Teams & Predictions – NRL Round 26 2026

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4 Pines Park will play host to Friday’s
Round 26 NRL game between Manly Sea Eagles and
St. George Illawarra Dragons. The game kicks off at 6:00 pm with Manly Sea Eagles heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Manly Sea Eagles vs.
St. George Illawarra Dragons
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Friday August 28, 2026 at 6:00 pm

Where: 4 Pines Park

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

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Manly Sea Eagles vs St. George Illawarra Dragons Odds

Manly Sea Eagles vs St. George Illawarra Dragons Preview

Manly kept its remote finals hopes alive by ending a six-match losing run with a 44-24 victory over Newcastle. The Sea Eagles must continue winning and rely on other results, giving this home assignment genuine urgency. St George Illawarra’s bid for three straight victories ended in a 44-14 loss to Canterbury, leaving the Dragons close to the wooden spoon. Josh Feledy replaces the injured Tolutau Koula in Manly’s centres and Onitoni Large could debut from the bench. For the Dragons, Damien Cook starts at hooker after Jacob Liddle was ruled out, with Connor Muhleisen added to the interchange. Manly won the Round 6 meeting 28-18, and its speed through Tom Trbojevic, Jason Saab and Lehi Hopoate should create enough chances to control this contest.

First Try Scorer

First Try Scorer:

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Jason Saab at $8.50.

Manly Sea Eagles vs St. George Illawarra Dragons Teams

Sea Eagles team: 1. Tom Trbojevic 2. Jason Saab 3. Josh Feledy 4. Reuben Garrick 5. Lehi Hopoate 6. Clayton Faulalo 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Simione Laiafi 9. Brandon Wakeham 10. Nathan Brown 11. Haumole Olakau’atu 12. Ben Trbojevic 13. Jake Trbojevic 14. Jake Simpkin 15. Nicholas Lenaz 16. Corey Waddell 17. Caleb Navale 18. Onitoni Large 19. Fletcher Baker 20. Blake Wilson 21. Jackson Shereb 22. Hugo Hart

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Dragons team: 1. Daniel Atkinson 2. Mathew Feagai 3. Moses Suli 4. Valentine Holmes 5. Tyrell Sloan 6. Lyhkan King-Togia 7. Kyle Flanagan 8. Loko Jnr Pasifiki Tonga 9. Damien Cook 10. Toby Couchman 11. Dylan Egan 12. Hamish Stewart 13. Ryan Couchman 14. Connor Muhleisen 15. Josh Kerr 16. Jacob Halangahu 17. Jacob Webster 18. Blake Lawrie 19. Setu Tu 20. Luciano Leilua 21. Kade Reed 22. Ryan Hutchinson

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UFC Shanghai Underdog of the Week: Denise Gomes Is a Major Value Play

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Nov 4, 2023; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Denise Gomes (blue gloves) prepares to fight Angela Hill (not pictured) during UFC Fight Night at Ibirapuera Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason da Silva-USA TODAY SportsNov 4, 2023; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Denise Gomes (blue gloves) prepares to fight Angela Hill (not pictured) during UFC Fight Night at Ibirapuera Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason da Silva-USA TODAY Sports

Many feel the way that you have to bet on UFC is parlaying heavy favorites together, but underdogs win approximately 35% of the time in the world’s largest MMA promotion. Don’t be afraid to hunt for plus money.

Years ago, I developed a predictive model that uses in-fight stats and fighter attributes to simulate UFC fight outcomes — so long as the combatants had at least 30 completed octagon minutes or 5 total fights. I found that, in the UFC, moneyline favorites are usually overvalued.

How is that possible? Well, in a fight environment with as many variables per second as MMA, it’s hard to see the difference between -150 and -350 in real time. Great bets can lose. Terrible bets can win by lucky measures.

Every week, I’m going to give you my favorite underdog bet of the week. They’ll usually be showing value in my model, and I’ll explain their path to victory.

Here’s my favorite bit of plus money available for UFC Fight Night: Numagomedov vs. Song. *Note: All fight odds come via Polymarket, the official prediction market of UFC. *

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Swaim’s Underdog of the Week: Denise Gomes (+144)

**Model Odds: -133 **

**Model’s Favorite Exact Outcome and Implied Odds: Decision (+227) **

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Channel debug: betting

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In Saturday’s co-main event, Brazilian strawweight Denise Gomes is seeking her fifth straight win. She’s an underdog to get it.

I understand where oddsmakers are coming from. Yan Xiaonan is a former title challenger in this 115-pound division, impressively going all 25 minutes with Weili Zhang. She wasn’t submitted in a dangerous 15 minutes against Virna Jandiroba in her only appearance during 2025. Xiaonan has become a brutal out — especially in China. She’s 3-0 in her home country.

But, Xiaonan is now 37, and the lack of activity won’t help her stay sharp. Her recent wins haven’t aged particularly well, as Tabatha Ricci has dropped three of her last four, and Jessica Andrade’s late-career slide has been six losses in her last eight fights.

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Above all, the Chinese striker just isn’t particularly dangerous. A “survival-first” mindset on the ground is paired with a 0.22% knockdown rate. She’s dropped just 1 of her 13 UFC opponents.

Gomes is the opposite. She’s scored a knockdown in three of her last six fights with a 0.65% knockdown rate. The Brazilian attempts 0.7 submission attempts per 15 minutes but has yet to find the tapout on a UFC opponent, signaling potential regression.

I’m not entirely sure that finish comes against Xiaonan, but there’s no doubt this is a competitive distance fight, and the 26-year-old also attempts 4.26 takedowns per 15 minutes. She’s the one of these two willing to mix it up.

That’s a big deal when the aforementioned Jandiroba just landed 3 of 11 takedown attempts and posted 9:59 in control. There’s no doubt that she is a better grappler than Gomes, but the threat of Yan getting stuck on her back could make a difference in decision-making between these well-matched strikers.

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My model has this fight at 64.9% likely to go the distance, which mirrors strawweight’s rolling yearly average of 68.6% of fights going the full distance. Xiaonan hasn’t been finished inside the distance since May 2021.

So, even if this isn’t Gomes’ most impressive performance, she probably shouldn’t be just 41.0% implied to win the fight. An 11-year age gap, grappling upside, and a power advantage are all working in her favor. The model’s forecast of Gomes’ decision outcome (30.6%) also shows value in betting markets.

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2026 College Football Week 0 Preview: Best Games To Watch This Weekend

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NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

This weekend marks the beginning of college football season, starting at Week 0.

Here are five contests to watch this weekend, along with what to know about Saturday’s games (odds via FanDuel Sportsbook as of Aug. 28).

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.

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(All Times ET)

North Carolina vs. TCU (noon, ESPN)

Spread: TCU -8.5 
Moneyline: TCU -360, UNC +290
O/U: 46.5

What To Know: The very first game of Saturday’s Week 0 slate is a showdown between the Tar Heels and the Horned Frogs all the way at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland. TCU is the heavy favorite. But all eyes will be on Bill Belichick as he tries to lead UNC to a bounce-back season after going 4-8 overall and 2-6 in the conference in 2025. FOX Sports betting analyst Will Hill also explains that bettors might want to keep their eyes on the quarterback play, since both squads are trotting out new starters at the position.

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San Jose State @ No. 14 USC (3 p.m., NBC)

Spread: USC -38.5
Moneyline: TBD
O/U: 61.5

What To Know: Can the No. 14 Trojans open up their year with an emphatic win? Based on the odds, USC should easily roll over San Jose State. In fact, Will Hill believes the Men of Troy will “score seven or more touchdowns” as they host the Spartans. Back in 2023, SC put up 56 points on SJSU when the two squads faced off.

NC State @ Virginia (3:30 p.m., ESPN)

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Spread: Virginia -4.5
Moneyline: Virginia -182, NC State +150
O/U: 51.5

What To Know: Virginia didn’t earn a preseason ranking in the AP or Coaches Poll, but the Cavaliers did get some votes in both and could be on the verge of breaking through. UVA, however, will give it a go with a new starting QB since last year’s starter signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Buccaneers.

Hawaii @ Stanford (7 p.m. ACCN)

Spread: Stanford -4.5
Moneyline: Stanford -192, Hawaii +158
O/U: 48.5

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What To Know: Stanford led most of this game last season before falling to the Rainbow Warriors, 23-20. Can the Cardinal avenge their loss from 2025? Considering they’re playing on their home field and are returning more starters than Hawaii, the Cardinal could be in a good position to win this catchup straight up (SU).

Memphis @ UNLV (10 p.m., FOX)

Spread: UNLV -4.5
Moneyline: UNLV -184, Memphis +152 
O/U: 56.5 

What To Know: Week 0 ends with a nightcap on FOX featuring Memphis and UNLV facing off in Nevada. The UNLV Rebels come into this contest off a 10-2 regular-season record. Memphis went 8-4 in 2025, including a six-game winning streak to open up the season.

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Randy Orton takes brutal, personal shots at Cody Rhodes’ family, and it’s hideous even by his standards

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Randy Orton can be vicious, both physically and psychologically, which is something Cody Rhodes is all too familiar with. However, on the August 28th episode of SmackDown, he went too far even by his own standard.

Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton had a promo ahead of their clash at WWE Sunday Night’s Main Event. To give context, SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis threatened both men by saying that if they laid a finger on each other before the match, they would never get a WWE Title shot again. This is exactly the basis on which Orton started talking all sorts of trash to Cody. He took a shot at his dog Pharaoh, who is 15-16 years old and still alive. He asked if he was dead and buried. He hurled insults at Cody’s mom and wife that we can’t mention here, but you can see it in the tweet below.

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Cody managed to restrain himself successfully. Regardless, the verbal attack was vicious even by Orton’s standards. The Viper has been on a bit of a tear this year, barring those few months when he was injured after WrestleMania 42. But it isn’t surprising in any way to see Orton reaching this state.

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Randy Orton had a backstage interaction with Kevin Owens

What’s interesting is the fact that Orton had a backstage interaction with Kevin Owens, whom he was supposed to face at WrestleMania 41. They both were on the same page about disliking Cody Rhodes, but the tensions were still palpable, and they aren’t exactly going to be friends again.

We are going to witness a WrestleMania rematch at Sunday Night’s Main Event next week, and there will be a lot of anticipation regarding who picks up the victory and moves forward.