Republic of Ireland secured an emphatic 9-0 aggregate win over Georgia to book their place in the play-off final.

And while they should provide a far sterner test that Slovakia, former Wales striker Helen Ward believes Wales can be confident ahead of the double header.

“It’s going to be a much tougher ask against the Republic of Ireland,” she said on BBC Radio Wales.

“You’d expect they’ll come with a game plan, but it’s certainly a game Wales will look to and think they can win.

“We’ve got a to and fro record against them over the years, won a few and of course that game earlier this year where we beat them was a great performance.

“If we perform like we did then we stand a very good chance.”

New boss Wilkinson watched from the stands as Wales defeated Ireland 2-0 in Dublin in a friendly in February.

But former Wales full-back Kath Morgan expects Wilkinson’s side to be on the back foot far more in the upcoming contests with Ireland.

“When we beat the Republic of Ireland that wasn’t their first team, November will be completely different,” Morgan told Radio Cymru.

“We’re not used to playing teams above us since Gemma Grainger was in charge.

“We will be the team sitting in the low block come November, trying to defend as a unit and that’s perhaps something we’re not as used to.”

Sauber has signed former Ferrari Formula 1 head of race strategy and sporting director Ignacio Rueda as part of its latest management changes.

The Spaniard will take over the sporting director role from long-time Sauber head Beat Zehnder, who has been moved into a new position of director of signature programs and operation in 2025.

Zehnder, an ever-present part of Sauber since it joined the F1 grid, will be part of “a supervising function to assure the best possible transition as the team grows into its new structures”, according to a team statement, as the Swiss squad prepares to transform into its Audi guise in 2026.

Rueda, who worked under new Sauber boss Mattia Binotto at Ferrari, held the same role at the Scuderia between 2021-23 before leaving the team. The Spaniard rose through the ranks at both Jordan and Renault/Lotus before joining Ferrari.

Meanwhile, Giampaolo Dall’Ara returns to Sauber having left the team in early 2016, and has been appointed in a newly created role of head of racing engineering. The Italian will oversee the race engineering department at both its Hinwil base and trackside underneath Binotto, in order to “optimise alignment on all car performance-related topics”.

Giampaolo Dall’Ara, head of track engineering, Sauber F1 Team

Dall’Ara joined Sauber in 2000 and became head of engineering at the Swiss squad between 2009-2015, before leaving to work in the DTM and run his own consultancy firm since 2016.

The latest hirings follow a management overhaul at Sauber in the summer, with former Ferrari boss Binotto installed as chief operating and chief technical officer, while both CEO Andreas Seidl and chairman Oliver Hoffmann left the team.

Jonathan Wheatley will also join as new Sauber team principal midway through the 2025 season, having been poached from Red Bull in the summer.

Sauber has also hired Stefan Strahnz from Mercedes for the new position of programme director.

“These leadership changes infuse the team with renewed confidence as they strengthen the organisation as it prepares for future challenges and opportunities, with a bright future as a factory team ahead,” the Sauber statement concluded.

Sauber is currently enduring a nightmare 2024 F1 season, sitting at the bottom of the world constructors’ championship, having failed to score a single point so far this campaign.

The Swiss squad is yet to announce who will drive alongside Nico Hulkenberg from 2025, having missed out on primary target Carlos Sainz who has opted to join Williams instead.

ROY KEANE has been left speechless after former rival Giorgio Chiellini picked his shirt over Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

The Italian legend gatecrashed a recent recording of Sky’s new show The Overlap on Tour.

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Keane was joined by fellow analysts Gary Neville, Ian Wright and Jamie Carragher for the recording.

Seated in a restaurant, the quartet were left shocked as former Juventus centre-back Chiellini made a shock entrance.

The 40-year-old strode into camera shot wearing a vintage Manchester United strip.

Neville gasped: “You look great in that kit!”

A visibly stunned Keane agreed: “It suits you.”

The former Juve centre-half spun around to reveal the strip had Keane’s name and number on the back.

Chiellini explained: “I was at an event of classic shirts and they ask me ‘Okay, pick one.’

“I look for the first one. It was not Ronaldo, it was not Messi.

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“I said I want Manchester United and Roy Keane.”

One fan laughed in response to the clip on X: “Chiellini got Roy Keane blushing so hard.”

Another said: “Keano! Greatest ever CM in prem history.”

While a third added: “That’s brilliant. Chiellini is a class act.”

And a fourth quipped: “When you see Keane smiling, you are already more blessed like when you see 20 unicorns.”

Chiellini later joked he almost left Juventus to “join Sunderland” when Keane was manager of the Black Cats in 2006.

Keane laughed in response: “You would have loved it!”

Ruben Amorim is ‘Mourinho 2.0’ who turned Sporting from ‘walking dead’ into Portuguese champs… he can revive Man Utd

WHEN Ruben Amorim took charge of Sporting Lisbon in March 2020, one club official compared their situation to the “walking dead”, writes Jordan Davies.

Optimism and hope was at an all-time low.

But the Amorim-effect was almost instantaneous, guiding the Portuguese sleeping giants to their first league title for 19 years in 2020/21, losing just once and only conceding 20 goals.

Since then, Sporting have lifted another league title in 2023/24 – as well as two League Cups – and currently sit top with nine wins from nine this term.

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He may be young, but Amorim already has an eye for rebuilding and revitalising fallen super powers with his infectious charisma and intense tactical philosophy that hardly ever wavers. 

The “walking dead” at Manchester United must be praying for a similar sort of revival.

And they may just get it from one of the most talented young coaches on the continent – a man accustomed to breathing new life back into crumbling institutions such as Old Trafford.

Amorim has spent the last decade dreaming of one day gracing England’s Premier League, such was his admiration for an ex-United boss in Jose Mourinho growing up.

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Often nicknamed ‘Mourinho 2.0’, Amorim spent a week with his coaching idol in an internship capacity at United’s Carrington training base in 2018, going on to cite him as his “reference point”.

United should not be expecting a mini-Mourinho, as Amorim said himself: “Mourinho is one of a kind. There won’t be another Mourinho. Mourinho is unique.”

And yet, you cannot help but compare the two.

For all the mismanagement in the Old Trafford hot seats over the years, this would be a real get – finally a slap in the face United’s Prem rivals have no answer for.

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Chiellini is widely regarded as one of the best centre-backs of his generation.

He started his career at Livorno, before joining Juve in 2004.

The Italian would go on to play over 400 times for the Old Lady, winning nine Serie A titles.

Chiellini earned over 100 caps for Italy during his 23-year career, wining the Euros in 2020.

He finally hung up his boots last year at the age of 39 after a season in the MLS with Los Angeles FC.

Los Angeles Dodgers fielder Mookie Betts has the ball ripped from his glove by a New York Yankees fan during game four of the World Series.

The Yankees won the game 11-4 but trail 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.

READ MORE: Yankees hit back to keep World Series hopes alive

Formula E’s pre-season test is currently under threat due to heavy flooding in the Valencia region which has destroyed access roads into the Ricardo Tormo Circuit.

Four days of testing for the all-electric championship are due to take place between 4-7 November, which is scheduled to be the only official running for all 11 teams prior to the season getting underway in Sao Paulo on 7 December.

Torrential weather has hit the Valencia region in the last 24 hours, with a month’s worth of rain falling in the space of eight hours which has killed at least 51 people, according to the BBC.

The flash floods have caused huge devastation, which has included completely wiping out the main roads in and out of the local circuit.

Formula E organisers confirmed that the circuit itself has not been damaged but that it is inaccessible by vehicle with alternative options currently being investigated – further updates are set to be provided.

A statement from a Formula E spokesperson read: “Our thoughts go out to those affected by the extreme weather conditions in Spain.

Maximilian Gunther, Maserati Racing, Maserati Tipo Folgore

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

“We are working closely with the local authorities and representatives of the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia ahead of the scheduled FIA Formula E official test next week.

“Due to damage to the main access road caused by a burst river bank nearby, the circuit is currently inaccessible by vehicle.

“Four members of Formula E staff stayed at the circuit last night as a precaution, but are safe and able to transfer to and from the circuit by foot.

“Track conditions show no signs of damage, and we continue to assess garages and freight. Alternative access routes in and out of the circuit are currently being investigated.

“We are closely monitoring the situation and will provide further updates in due course.”

The Ricardo Tormo Circuit is also due to host the conclusion of the 2024 MotoGP season the following week on 15-17 November, with organisers yet to make any public announcement about whether the finale will go ahead.

Most recently, the 2023 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was cancelled by Formula 1 organisers after flooding in the area.

NEW YORK — The Yankees finally broke through for their first win of the World Series in front of a rocking Bronx crowd and, in doing so, reminded everyone that they’re not going down without a fight. Whether it was the pressure of competing in an elimination game and playing with urgency, or seeing multiple relief arms and capitalizing on the Dodgers‘ bullpen game, the Yankees’ 11-4 win on Tuesday night was just what they needed to get their confidence back in the Fall Classic. 

They are, after all, the best team in the American League for a reason.

Here are our four biggest takeaways from Game 4 in the Bronx. 

[RELATED: Full coverage of the World Series] 

1. Volpe’s signature Yankees moment

It was sweet, sweet redemption for Anthony Volpe. One inning after he didn’t score from second base on an Austin Wells double, the opportunity to atone for his mistake was his to take when the Yankees, trailing 2-1, loaded the bases for him in the third. The Yankees were finding ways to get on base, but they still needed that big hit, and it appeared unlikely that they would actually capitalize after Anthony Rizzo popped out with the bases juiced for the second out. But it was also pretty clear that Daniel Hudson, who was the second man out of the bullpen in the Dodgers’ bullpen game, didn’t have it.

Volpe pounced on the first pitch Hudson offered him, an 89 mph slider that nicked the bottom of the zone before the Yankees shortstop barreled it to left field. Fans couldn’t believe it as the ball kept sailing over left fielder Teoscar Hernández’s head and into the seats. Only when it safely landed beyond the left-field wall did an anxious and restless home crowd of 49,354 finally erupt for the first time in this World Series. 

Volpe’s grand slam gave the Yankees a lead it wouldn’t relinquish. The first home run of his postseason career was just his second overall since Aug. 4. — Deesha Thosar

2. Freeman does it again

No, that wasn’t a replay. Freddie Freeman had no extra-base hits, just one run scored and one RBI in the first two rounds of the postseason. He was too hobbled from his ankle sprain to play in the Dodgers’ deciding Game 6 of the NLCS, and there were questions whether his valiant effort to be in the lineup — despite his obvious pain, and despite how much it seemed to be a galvanizing force for his teammates, who admired the daily efforts it took for him to get on the field — was doing more harm than good.

The Yankees haven’t seen that version of the All-Star first baseman. A week off transformed Freeman from a singles hitter into a slugging juggernaut. His teammates thought he had started to find his stroke again watching him take batting practice a couple of days before the start of the World Series, watching him line baseballs over shortstop the way he typically does when he’s swinging right.

The Yankees didn’t get that version of Freeman, either. Instead, they’ve seen the one who’s on a historic postseason home run pace. Freeman hit the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history in Game 1, added a solo shot in Game 2, quieted the opposing crowd at Yankee Stadium in the first inning of Game 3 with a two-run shot, then did so again in Game 4. In the process, Freeman — who also homered in the final two games of the Braves‘ 2021 title run — has set a major-league record by hitting a home run in six straight World Series games.

He has now homered in four straight games to start this World Series. At the time of his Game 4 blast, Freeman had knocked in more runs this series than the entire Yankees team. His 10 RBIs are the most by a Dodgers player in a World Series. This time, though, it wasn’t the dagger that it was in Game 3, as the Yankees’ lineup battled back. — Rowan Kavner

3. With a little help from Judge’s friends

It was hard to imagine the Yankees getting a single win in this World Series without one of two things happening: Either Aaron Judge wakes up, or the guys that he’s carried all year finally give him some of that support back. It was mostly the latter Tuesday, as the bottom of the Yankees order finally put together quality at-bats for the first time in this Series. Austin Wells, one of the Yankees’ best hitters in July and August and who played his way into the American League Rookie of the Year conversation, cranked a solo shot to right field in the sixth inning for a much-needed insurance run after the Dodgers had cut their deficit to one. For the rookie catcher, the homer followed an excellent at-bat in the second inning, when he skied a double off the padding in center field that led to New York’s first run. 

No lead is safe with the Dodgers in the other dugout, as the Yankees learned the hard way in Game 1. That might explain New York’s five-run outburst in the eighth inning, with Volpe and Wells reaching safely again to set the table for a Gleyber Torres three-run home run. Amazingly, the Yankees scored their first 10 runs of this game without Juan Soto or Judge being prominently involved. — Thosar

4. Dodgers’ bullpen game goes south quickly

Tuesday was the fourth bullpen game of the postseason for the Dodgers. The first, in an elimination Game 4 in the NLDS, was a clinic, with eight different pitchers combining to hold the Padres scoreless in an 8-0 shutout that came in the midst of a record-tying 33 consecutive scoreless innings for the Dodgers’ pitching staff.

The last three haven’t gone so smoothly, including the first of the World Series on Tuesday in the Bronx. With four chances to win one game, manager Dave Roberts decided against deploying all of his best high-leverage pieces the way he needed to in that first do-or-die matchup in San Diego. It looked a little more like Game 2 of the NLCS, when, after the Mets tagged Landon Knack for five runs, the Dodgers essentially punted. Roberts didn’t want to tire his best arms out in a long series, and he didn’t want the Mets to get another look at those arms in a minus situation. The move ultimately paid off.

It was a similar situation Tuesday against the Yankees. While Roberts said everyone was available, it was clear he would need some length from rookies Ben Casparius and Knack and would decide who to use based on the game situation from there. “Every guy will be with a cost going forward,” Roberts said. Michael Kopech had pitched in each of the first three games. Blake Treinen, Anthony Banda, Alex Vesia and Brusdar Graterol had pitched in two apiece. None of them saw the field after Volpe’s grand slam off Daniel Hudson put the Yankees in the driver’s seat. 

Roberts has pushed a lot of the right buttons so far this October, so we’ll see if saving his best guys for Game 5 and beyond was the right call again. — Rowan Kavner

Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.

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