RED Bull Leipzig gave him wings.

Last night at Celtic Park they watched him soar.

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Nicolas Kuhn played for the Bundesliga’s Under-16’s side and showed signs of taking off.

In this Champions League tie against them, he was flying.

There will likely be some Academy coach at the German club telling how he once watched the Celtic star scored 18 goals in 22 youth team appearances.

But they count for nothing compared to his double here and performance to go with them.

Kuhn, at 24, is now the real deal as he produced on the big stage to be the catalyst for this sensational comeback victory.

The German side took an early lead but after Kuhn’s double Reo Hatate sealed the three points.

For Brendan Rodgers, it’s arguably his biggest European result in his two spells at the club given the standard of opposition.

His side gave him everything he hoped for and more to respond to an early set-back. 

Celtic had initial control of the game.

Right up until they didn’t.

Rodgers’ side made such a promising start and were the dominant team for the first 20 minutes.

The packed stadium brought the big match atmosphere and the early signs were the players would deliver the performance to go with it.

But European outfits like Leipzig only need a sniff of a chance to pounce.

And teams like Celtic cannot afford to make two mistakes in quick succession and expect to get away with it.

That’s precisely what Rodgers warned in his pre-match press conference.

He talked about how keeping possession of the ball was the best form of defence.

So there was real frustration when Auston Trusty passed straight to a Leipzig player on 23 minutes.

The centre-back had picked up an ankle knock earlier. 

But it was still slack play from the big defender when he was under no real pressure.

The error led to a shot on target which was going wide.

But Kasper Schmeichel threw out his right arm to turn the ball out for a corner.

Rodgers turned away in annoyance, knowing it was needless.

The first ball into the box was cleared by Arne Engels.

But when it came back in a second time, Cameron Carter-Vickers could only flick the ball on and Leipzig scored through Christoph Baumgartner.

The Bundesliga side started to look like a really, really good side and they could have doubled their lead.

There was a panicky few minutes for Celtic, without doubt.

Alistair Johnston was required to make a vital last ditch block in that worrying spell with Antonio Nusa blasting another chance high over the bar.

Those were big moments.

But just as Celtic had control of the game and lost it, so too did Leipzig.

Rodgers’ side deserve huge credit for the way they composed themselves after that shaky five minutes.

Skipper Callum McGregor led by example in the middle of the park with a proper captain’s performance.

But the star of the show was wearing the number ten jersey.

Kuhn is just playing with so much confidence right now that he doesn’t run around the pitch, he swaggers.

It’s amazing to think he was so ordinary looking last season after he initially joined the club in January.

But he’s settled now, alright. 

Kuhn made it 1-1 with a tremendous goal after 34 minutes.

He struck the ball almost nonchalantly from outside the box to beat goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi with a sensational curling shot.

Kuhn held his arms out, when the ball hit the net off the post, like it was nothing special. 

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But that’s exactly what it was.

Celtic could easily have settled for that before half-time.

But with Leipzig rocking they grabbed the initiative, pushed forward and scored again seconds before the break.

Hatate did brilliantly to feed the ball into the box from the left and this time Kuhn was in the right place at the right time to score again.

The goal raised the roof but no-one inside the stadium believed there were no more goals to come.

The match was still very much on a knife-edge going into the second half.

Leipzig were always capable of getting the next goal and going on to get the much needed victory.

While they turned up here with zero points from their first three European games this season, their defeats weren’t exactly against the minnows of the competition.

In truth, while they lost to Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Liverpool, their performances deserved better.

So Celtic had to beware.

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But when push came to shove, Rodgers’ side were in no mood to let this opportunity slip.

They made it 3-1 in 72 minutes, Hatate reacting brilliantly to slam the ball into he roof of the net after the Leipzig keeper spilled a low cross from Johnston.

Rodgers took off Kuhn at that point with the wide-man getting a standing ovation from the Celtic support.

There was still some work to do in the closing stages.

Play being held up as young Celtic supporter invaded the pitch was an unwelcome distraction for the players.

But the final whistle wasn’t long in coming with Rodgers and his team able to take the applause of the whole crowd who were thrilled with their performance.

Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page

Philadelphia 76ers centre Joel Embiid has been suspended for three games for pushing a journalist.

The 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player shoved a Philadelphia Inquirer columnist after the reporter wrote a critical article that referred to his son and late brother, as well as criticising his fitness and professionalism.

The incident happened after the 76ers’ 124-107 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday.

Embiid, a seven-time All-Star, is yet to play this season because of a knee issue.

“Mutual respect is paramount to the relationship between players and media in the NBA,” league executive vice-president and head of basketball operations Joe Dumars said in a statement.

“While we understand Joel was offended by the personal nature of the original version of the reporter’s column, interactions must remain professional on both sides and can never turn physical.”

In Embiid’s absence, Philadelphia have won just one of their first six games to start the season.

SPUN around, turned upside down, and twisted into all sorts of shapes, I’ve never been inside a washing machine, but I now know how it would feel.

And it is all thanks to two of Mexico’s top wrestlers, who touched down in London to give us Brits a taste of what they call “Lucha Libre” in the ring.

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After a 42-year career, El Hijo del Santo, 61, is setting off on a tour of Europe as he prepares to hand the reins to his son, Santo Jr, 27.

He will be the third generation descended from the most legendary wrestler in Lucha Libre history — El Santo — known for his silver mask and 50-strong films, in which he defends peace and justice in the Central America country.

Ranking only behind football in its popularity in Mexico, wrestling fills stadiums with thousands of chanting fans, young and old. And now it is my turn to give it a go.

To transform into a “Luchadore”, I am christened with a new name — El Hombre Ingles (The Englishman) — and draped in a red-and-silver sequin cape.

Then comes the mask, the defining symbol of Luche Libre.
Masking up is about a lot more than just looking fancy, as Santo Jr explains.

Summon power

“Ever since the pre-Hispanic times, Aztec warriors and Mexican fighters would use animal masks to summon their power. It’s a symbol. It’s more magic when you don’t know who is underneath.”

For a Luchadore, there is no greater shame than being unmasked by an opponent in the ring. And despite working under every major Mexican wrestling outfit and doing stints in World Wrestling Entertainment, El Hijo has not once been seen in public without his mask.

“When we’re wearing the mask people are always around us asking for photos and stuff,” he said, with help translating from his son.

“But whenever the mask is off no one knows who you are. We have a lot of privacy because of it.”

His dad El Santo also stayed masked throughout his career until during an interview just one month before his death in a goodbye to his fans.

Such were the lengths he went to hide his identity, he even travelled in a separate airplane to his team so that no one saw his face when he went through customs. And when El Santo passed away in 1984, he was buried wearing the mask.

His funeral was one of the largest Mexico had ever seen, attracting over 10,000 mourners.

El Hijo, who was one of 11 children, tells me the moment he inherited his dad’s mask remains the highlight of his career. Back in the ring, El Hijo locks arms with me and I prepare for battle.

But it is hopeless. I am picked up with ease and thrown to the ground.

I even become victim to the family’s favourite finishing move, “la de a caballo”, where El Hijo sits on my shoulders and stretches back my head. It is certainly a humiliating end to my wrestling career.

When asked how easily other famous fighters could fare at their sport, the pair are sceptical. “They would need time to adjust,” says Santo Jr, “but if Conor [McGregor] wants to hop up in the ring, I’ll be happy.”

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Later, I see El Hijo, Santo Jr, and other wrestlers come together at East End boxing venue — Bethnal Green’s York Hall.

Fighter after fighter enters to dramatic music, each with a unique costume and persona. It is entertaining — and there is plenty of very real rivalry between them.

Even the ref got dragged in at points and a mouthy fan quickly shut up when the wrestler he was taunting sat right next to him.

Many people have the same question when it comes to professional wrestling: is it real? From my second row seat, a couple of kicks and punches do look on the slow side. But these are far outnumbered by very-real kicks to the face and body, and slams that shake the floor.

Likewise, it is real enough when El Hijo and Santo Jr come together as a double team to defend the legacy of the silver mask and the man who first wore it. In the end, it is not a question that matters.

Just don’t expect to see El Hombre Ingles return any time soon.

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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Al-Hilal want Mohamed Salah in time for Club World Cup, Barcelona also interested in Liverpool forward, Manchester United to bid again for Jarrad Branthwaite.

Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal want to sign Liverpool and Egypt forward Mohamed Salah, 32, in time for next summer’s Club World Cup. (Mirror), external

Barcelona are also interested in signing Salah when his Liverpool contract runs out at the end of the season. (Sport – in Spanish), external

Liverpool plan to open talks on a new contract with their Scotland international full-back Andy Robertson, 30, in the summer. (Football Insider), external

Premier League clubs have reserved the right to seek compensation for lost earnings if Manchester City are found guilty of breaching the league’s financial rules. (Times – subscription required), external

Former Arsenal sporting director Edu rejected a lucrative new contract to stay with the Gunners in favour of taking up a multi-club role with Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis. (Mail), external

Manchester United are planning a fresh move for Everton and England centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite, 22, in the summer. (Talksport), external

Incoming Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim wants a trio of Sporting players – Portugal centre-back Goncalo Inacio, 23, Ivory Coast defender Ousmane Diomande, 20, and 26-year-old Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres – to join him at Old Trafford. (Sacha Tavolieri, via Teamtalk), external

England centre-back Harry Maguire, 31, will refuse to consider leaving Manchester United in January and believes he can earn a new contract at the club. (TBR Football), external

United will wait to assess developments from the Government’s Budget before deciding whether to demolish Old Trafford. (Telegraph – subscription required), external

Paris St-Germain are preparing a bid to sign Colombia striker Jhon Duran, 20, from Aston Villa. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

Manchester City have made resources available for two signings in January after their injury-hit start to the season. (Football Insider), external

Chelsea and England forward Cole Palmer will have a scan on his left knee this week after the 22-year-old was injured in Sunday’s draw against Manchester United. (Standard), external

New England manager Thomas Tuchel will not influence interim manager Lee Carsley’s selections for the Nations League matches later this month. (Mail), external