After opening with a thumping success over Slovan Bratislava, a sobering shellacking by Borussia Dortmund, and a doughty draw with Atalanta, this victory leaves Celtic on seven points at the midway point of their campaign.

Next, they host Club Brugge, before travelling to face Dinamo Zagreb, welcoming Young Boys and concluding on the road against Aston Villa.

They currently sit 13th in the 36-team table – level on points with Manchester City in sixth – with a top-eight finish securing an automatic last-16 place, and a spot between ninth and 24th ensuring they would be in the play-off round.

According to analysis by Opta, 16 points would almost certainly secure a top-eight place and 10 would be good enough for a play-off spot.

“We have to stay humble in our work, we can’t get too far ahead of ourselves,” Rodgers said.

“It gives us a real nice confidence. We’ve discovered in the last two games we can be really competitive.

“If you told us after the Dortmund game we’d have four points from the next two games, I don’t think too many people would have said we would have done that.

“It’s a great next step and gives us great encouragement to go and make the play-off stage, but there is still so much to do.”

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman sounded as if he intends to bring back manager Aaron Boone for an eighth season and defended his team from criticism by Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly over New York’s sloppy World Series defensive play.

“I’m a big Aaron Boone fan. I think he’s a great manager and I think we’re lucky to have him,” Cashman said Tuesday at the general managers meetings.

Boone has led the Yankees to a 603-429 record, three AL East titles and one pennant in seven seasons. After the five-game loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series last week, Boone said he hadn’t thought about his future.

Boone agreed in October 2021 to a three-year contract that includes a team option for 2025. Cashman said the deadline for the option is 10 days after the World Series and he envisioned discussing both the option and a new deal.

“I can’t put the cart ahead of the horse. We haven’t gotten there,” he said.

‘It stings forever’ – Aaron Boone on New York Yankees losing to Dodgers in World Series | MLB on FOX

Cashman didn’t fault Boone for moves he made during the postseason.

“The manager’s job is so impossible, so you can play the game of second-guessing because you’re either going to make a move and it’ll be right, you make a move and it’ll be wrong and then have at it, right?” he said. “So I think he’s a really, really good manager. I think that we’re lucky to have him. He’s done a great job.”

Cashman acknowledged the World Series performance was a disappointment. The Yankees blew a 10th-inning lead in the opener when Freddie Freeman hit a game-ending grand slam off Nestor Cortes. After losing the first three games and winning Game 4, the Yankees wasted a 5-0 lead in Game 5 in a five-run fifth inning when center fielder Aaron Judge and shortstop Anthony Volpe made errors and pitcher Gerrit Cole failed to cover first on an infield grounder. The Dodgers won 7-6 to capture the title.

“First and foremost, I acknowledge that we played poorly in the World Series,” Cashman said. “We all saw that and unfortunately our `A’ game didn’t show up when it counted the most.”

Kelly was limited to 35 games this season because of right shoulder inflammation and didn’t pitch during the postseason. He criticized the Yankees on his “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast.

“They got bad ball. Yeah, sloppy. Everyone knows that,” Kelly said. “We were saying every single game: Just let them throw the ball into the infield. They can’t make a play. I mean, you saw Shohei (Ohtani) get an extra base going to third off a sloppy Gleyber (Torres) play. It’s well known. We all knew. I mean, we’re the Dodgers. We know every little detail.”

“It was just a mismatch from the get-go,” Kelly added. “If we had a playoff reranking, they might be ranked eighth- or ninth-best playoff team. You know what I mean? You’re putting the Padres ahead of them, you’re putting the Phillies ahead of them, you’re putting the Mets ahead of them, you’re putting the Braves ahead of them — and the Braves just got unlucky because they had to play that doubleheader. You’re putting — I mean, the Guardians played like crap, but the Guardians played better, the better D (defense), better baseball all around.”

“I heard that,” Cashman said. “I also know people with the Dodgers, so I’ve got some internal conversations that I’ve got certainly feedback on. I think it’s more representative of some specific players rather than the overall group. And in Joe’s case, it feels like it’s for some reason, it’s a little personal, the way he’s out talking like he has.”

Cashman rejected criticism of the Yankees roster makeup, saying it’s natural that players are better at offense and not so strong at defense or base running.

“We’ve come across many a player that just aren’t good at bunting. As many times as you ask them to bunt and you practice bunting or whatever, they just aren’t good at it. And so at some point you manage the people you have,” Cashman said. “I remember having a conversation with one of my prior managers: ‘At some point you got to stop asking somebody to do something they’re not good at.’”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Daniel Frunza sat backstage as he waited for his name to be called by someone from the UFC public relations team.

It would soon be his turn to speak with the media in attendance at the UFC Apex. Moments prior, Frunza (9-2) had earned a contract from promotion CEO Dana White for an impressive Contender Series finish by TKO over Vadym Kutsyi (17-2).

That’s when it hit him: His dream, or at least the first big one, was achieved.

“Even when Dana gave the contract, I was like, ‘Eh.’ It was like in a dream state,” Frunza recently told MMA Junkie. “But when I was in the back waiting for the interview, waiting for the media, I was like, ‘Oh my goodness. What the hell did I just do?’ That’s what kind of came to me, the realization. But it felt good because that’s what I was working for. That’s what I was there for. I knew what I was there for. I know what I’m fighting for.”

Some of his motivations, Frunza is keeping close to his chest. In due time, he plans to tell his story and what makes him tick to the fullest extent. But for now, Frunza hopes to serve as an inspiration for the next generation of Romanian fighters.

One year ago, Diana Belbita and Nicolae Negumereanu were the country’s two lone representatives. Frunza, Bogdan Grad, and Alice Ardelean have since more than doubled that number.

“We’re going to lead the way,” Frunza said. “That’s what I want, to be honest. I will try to make it to the highest heights of the sport and be an inspiration for the new generation, for the young guys and show that it’s possible, and as a Romanian fighter, you can dream. If you work hard and you’re really dedicated, you can make it. What I want on a personal level is to lead the way and be an inspiration to the younger guys.”

VICIOUS ground and pound from Daniel Frunza 👀

Was that finish enough to earn him a UFC contract? #DWCS pic.twitter.com/yP6suDHVNR

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— UFC (@ufc) September 25, 2024

Frunza, 30, was born in Romania, where he lived until age 14 when he moved with his mother to Italy. At 19, he picked up combat sports. His main motivation was living out the American dream, and he saw MMA as the most America-centric combat sport. Eventually, Frunza found his way to Miami, where he currently lives and trains.

While he has yet to receive his first UFC assignment, whenever that walk comes, viewers should expect to see a blue, yellow, and red flag draped over Frunza’s shoulders.

“I want to say to the UFC: Line them up. Just get them ready for me,” Frunza said. “That’s all I can say. That’s the only message that I’m going to give. Just line them up. I cannot wait to step back into that cage, this time in an official UFC event, and hopefully I would really fight with a crowd and entertain the people.”