With the finals day fast approaching at Morphettville, trainer Sarah Rutten is looking to be a player in that day’s action.

But first, Rutten has to win her way into one of the finals and hopes From The Block can be that galloper.

From The Block runs in the Sportsbet Green Tick Handicap (1200m) at Morphettville on Saturday where he will be joined by stablemate Eventually who is kicking off her campaign.

Rutten was considering a trip to the upcoming Flemington carnival with From The Block, but if all goes according to plan the gelding will remain in South Australia for a tilt at Finals Day on November 21.

“We had been thinking of heading across the border to Flemington, but if he could qualify for one of the finals over here, it’s a chance for us South Australians to win some good prize money without having to travel interstate,” Rutten said.

“He’s tough, he’s fit and he seems to have come through last week’s run really well.”

A winner at Murray Bridge in September, From The Block shouldered 61kg when fourth at Morphettville in benchmark 70 grade last week.

From The Block rises to benchmark 84 grade on Saturday but drops to 56kg and has Connor Murtagh back in the saddle.

“The other day he had to do it pretty hard with 61 kilos from barrier 16,” Rutten said.

“I was happy with his effort. He’s a tough horse and it’s good having Connor back on board, even though it’s a tough race, full of smart horses.

“Even though he’s quite a big horse and he does carry weight well, the weight drop is nice on Saturday.”

Rutten said Eventually will find Saturday’s race far too short and is starting a campaign that may again lead to the Adelaide Cup.

Eventually won the Lord Reims Stakes (2600m) at Morphettville before running eighth in the Adelaide Cup (3200m) in March, the mare’s most recent appearance.

Rutten had hoped to kick off Eventually’s program in the Murray Bridge Cup earlier in the month, but a few little niggles delayed that.

“Her rating is really tricky,” Rutten said.

“She’s an 89-rater and here in Adelaide it’s hard to find anything suitable. I was trying to have her up for the Murray Bridge Cup, but that did not happen.

“This is her first-up run, and she’s pretty much using this as a trial, she will be out the back and hopefully closing off.

“They will be much too sharp at that trip for her.

“If she comes through it OK, we’ll go to the John Letts Cup (on November 3), which will be more like her first proper run of the campaign.

“I would have liked a 1400-metre race to kick her off, but there are none available with her rating.”

Considering the betting markets for the upcoming race? Discover the top Australian betting sites at betting sites.

To most Bayern Munich fans under the age of 40, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was the club CEO who regularly spoke his mind. Fans with longer memories, or a better grasp of Bavarian football history, recall Rummenigge as one of the club’s all-time great players. He was also the last Bayern man to win the Ballon d’Or — in 1981. The last Bundesliga player to win was Borussia Dortmund’s Matthias Sammer, in 1996.

That long drought looks set to end on Monday, with Harry Kane, born 12 years after Rummenigge’s win, the favorite to pick up the trophy at a ceremony held, as a one-off, in his native London.

“It’s obviously special for me that the ceremony is taking place in London. “I come from London and lived there for a long time — maybe that’s a good omen,” Kane told club magazine Säbener51. “The Ballon d’Or would be a massive success for me.”

Lamine Yamal, the prodigious Barcelona and Spain forward who won the Euros at 16 looks to be the main competitor. At the end of the 2025-26 season, on which the award is judged, Yamal won the World Cup with Spain, as well as the La Liga title.

Kane’s career not just measured in numbers

Kane’s 73 goals for club and country last season make for a strong case, and the Bundesliga’s most expensive signing of all time has already racked up 156 goals in 158 games for the serial German champions. But it’s not just the numbers that tell the story, according to his club coach.

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“People in England saw him as a goalscorer during his time playing there,” Vincent Kompany said of Kane last season. “We’ve seen other qualities too, such as his footballing intelligence. We can appreciate that now — it was perhaps somewhat underestimated in England. He’s like a fine wine that improves with age. I also enjoy that aspect of his game.”

Kane continues to improve at 33, a point when many footballers start to regress. Though he is helped by being more reliant on guile and technique than pace, Kane’s professionalism is key to staying at the top, according to his Bayern teammate Serge Gnabry.

“He always has the right attitude, always leads the way and sets the tone,” Gnabry said ahead of Bayern’s 2-2 draw in the Champions League against Arsenal on Wednesday. “He never strays from his path, helps the team with his performance and is a top-tier player.”

Kane scored a penalty in that match and provided a sensational pass from which Alphonso Davies scored Bayern’s opener, another reminder of his all-round game. “The pass was one of my best ones,” Kane said after the match. “I knew Phonzy [Davies] would be able to get there with his speed. Whatever I can do to help the team, I’ll do. At the moment, it seems to be with assists more than goals.”

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Kane’s ‘greatest strength’

That attitude has been with Kane from the start. His first-ever coach, Dave Bricknell, from Ridgeway Rovers, an amateur club in northeast London, told DW after he joined Bayern from Spurs in 2023: “Harry’s mentality is his greatest strength. He doesn’t let anything worry him. If he misses a chance, he doesn’t care — he will go and score from another chance.”

His England coach, Thomas Tuchel, has also emphasized Kane’s leadership. “He is the first one to push everyone, and that is his mindset, and he became a very, very hardworking forward on top of his finishing skills, Tuchel said in September as Kane extended his England goal-scoring record against the Czech Republic. “He is a complete package.”

There are detractors who point to perceived “stat-padding,” or scoring against inferior opponents in international qualifiers and in the Bundesliga, where there are fewer elite teams, and a lot less money, than in England. Though Kane’s ratio of 213 goals in 320 games in the Premier League is a little off his Bundesliga stats, it bears comparison with any other player in the history of the league.

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Should Kane win the award, it will be a boost in profile for the Bundesliga, which has been unable to keep pace, both commercially and on the pitch, with other top European leagues of late, particularly the Premier League and La Liga. Winning it in a league outside of England or Spain would make Kane’s feat even greater. Other than Ousmane Dembele, who won it last year after Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League win, and Lionel Messi, a serial Ballon d’Or winner, the last player to take the Ballon d’Or for a season played outside England or Spain was was Kaka at AC Milan in 2007, when Italy’s Serie A was considered a stronger league.

Kane’s career hasn’t been straightforward, though. After signing his first senior contract with Spurs in July 2010, he was sent out on various loans to lower league sides between 2011-2013 without ever making a huge impression.

Domestic trophies won but international success eludes

For former teammate Jermain Defoe, who also coached Kane at Spurs, those experiences were formative.

“You have to show a resilience. It’s not easy when you go out on loan, it can feel like you’re being rejected by the club that you are at, which isn’t the case,” he told DW in 2023, before adding that Kane’s ability was always clear.

“When he joined up with the [Tottenham] first team, you could see the potential,” Defoe said. “He was always a good finisher, always hit the ball clean. … With Harry you already knew, he had that natural instinct and always felt comfortable in front of goal.”

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Those goals have, after a failure to win a trophy in England, led to two Bundesliga titles and a German Cup. But success with England remains elusive after a 2026 World Cup exit in the semifinals. Kane will be 35 by the time of the next Euros, in the UK and Ireland in 2028, and has a deal with Bayern until the following year. His form since joining Bayern suggests that he could get better still.

Edited by: Jonathan Harding

Centre-back Liam Scales had by far the most touches of any Celtic player with 121, well ahead of left-back Kieran Tierney (79) and goalkeeper Sam Johnstone (69).

Goalscorer Baur admitted they did not do enough to win and was at a loss when asked what needs to change. “How we played second half, last 30 minutes, we deserved it in the end,” Baur said.

When asked if he knew why his team collapsed in such a manner, he responded: “I cannot tell you, sorry.

“It can happen that you get a goal, they can score too, good team – you should then get control back, hold the ball a bit longer to take the momentum away from them. You should break that.”

Celtic did not get control back, did not break Celta’s momentum and ultimately paid the price.

“I don’t think Celtic are good enough, individually and collectively, to take on a team that’s eighth in La Liga,” former Celtic goalkeeper Pat Bonner said on Sportsound.

“They moved the ball really well and Celtic couldn’t get close to them.

“They are not good enough at this level. Celtic are paying big money for some players because the fans are demanding it and then they come in and aren’t good enough.”

Their next European outing comes on 5 November as they host Besiktas, trying to reverse their continental woes. Whether they can or not is another matter.

Here’s a look at the results so far this season which have left Michael Carrick under so much pressure at Old Trafford…

22 Aug – Hull 2-0 Man United

30 Aug – Man United 5-2 Ipswich

6 Sept – Everton 2-2 Man United

10 Sept – Man United 4-0 Sabah

13 Sept – Man United 0-1 Man City

16 Sept – Man United 2-3 Brighton

20 Sept – Fulham 1-1 Man United

10 Oct – Man United 1-1 Spurs

13 Oct – Atletico 2-0 Man United

18 Oct – Leeds 1-1 Man United

21 Oct – Como 4-1 Man United

Oct 7, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault talks to Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell (25) and guard Jared McCain (3) during the second half of a preseason game at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

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There has never been this much buzz around the Big 12 since the Playoff expanded in 2024.

The SEC pundits are getting nervous at the idea of the league receiving at least one at-large bid. Some of them can’t fathom the idea that the Conference is legitimately good.

The nonconference wins over Oregon and Notre Dame changed the narrative.

But reputations can be torn down in a week.

No. 2 BYU heads to Orlando to play UCF in an eyebrow-raising matchup. A loss would destroy much of the goodwill built up in the national media.

In this week’s Big 12 Column, I preview all of the games involving teams in the West.

Plus, the featured team is Utah with College GameDay in town.

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Featured Team: Utah

No.14 Houston at No. 10 Utah

Saturday, October 24
7:15 PM PT, ESPN

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This matchup in Salt Lake City is Utah’s biggest game since joining the Big 12.

The only comparable moment is the contest against Oklahoma State in Stillwater, back in 2024. That means the whole conference is watching. And the stakes are high.

The winner will become a favorite for an at-large bid to the Playoff.

Houston has already been tested. The Cougars have a win over Oklahoma State, a road “W” in Manhattan against Kansas State, and a victory over Oregon State.

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The UH offense is efficient, with senior quarterback Conner Weigman leading the way.

Weigman enters the game with a 20-to-2 touchdown/interception ratio. He has six rushing touchdowns, too, with 229 yards on the ground and 3.9 yards per carry.

This is, without a doubt, the best offense the Utes have faced this season.

That might be a problem for Utah. The team has been trending in the wrong direction since the second half of the Iowa State game. This matchup provides the opportunity to change the narrative.

Otherwise, Houston could expose Utah.

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Miller covers College Basketball and College Football as well as Formula 1 racing as a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor for SuperWest Sports.

Latest posts by Dane Miller (see all)

All the latest injury news as Week 7 gets set to kick off

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Oct 21, 2026

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At a time of decisiveness for the United States, credit college football for introducing a plan that can bring some solidarity to our society.

Regardless if you support a program representing the Big Ten, SEC, or any of the eight conferences subject to the Power Two’s whims, everyone can agree expansion of the College Football Playoff to 24 teams is an awful idea.

Use of the term everyone is rhetorical in this context; no idea is ever universally praised nor universally reviled. However, it’s effectively impossible to argue that a 24-team bracket is not a bastardization of why proponents wanted a Playoff system to begin with.

Fan outcry for a postseason tournament grew from the desire to see matchups traditions denied the sport in the more distant past, like Washington-Miami to conclude the 1991 season. The BCS offered some improvement, giving us matchups like Texas-USC in the iconic 2006 Rose Bowl Game.

More BCS seasons ended in championship controversy than not, though. LSU and USC split the BCS and Associated Press titles in 2003, undefeated Auburn was skipped over a year later, and Utah was never even considered for a championship shot in 2004 or 2008.

Utah’s shunning as the sole unbeaten team in all of Div. I football in 2008 provided a key catalyst in making a playoff reality. The threat of antitrust lawsuits failed to earn Boise State a national championship shot in 2009, or TCU in either 2009 or 2010, but the resulting pressure helped make the College Football Playoff happen.

The system has never gotten the formula right, and expansion to 24 entrants is the worst change yet.

The original, four-team bracket proved to be a half-measure; an appeal to both traditionalists who embraced the pageantry of the bowl system and fans seeking a more concrete method of crowning a champion.

The exclusion of co-Big 12 Conference champions Baylor and TCU in the four-team Playoff’s first year set an ominous tone.

Ohio State and Alabama making the bracket in 2016 and 2017 without qualifying for their own conference title games; UCF excluded through consecutive undefeated regular seasons; Cincinnati only qualifying in 2021 thanks to going two regular seasons without losing a game and one of the more chaotic campaigns unfolding around the Bearcats; plenty of evidence surfaced that as a vehicle for determining the most legitimate champion, four teams wouldn’t cut.

How anyone concluded that the solution was to triple the size of the field, and now doubling that just four years later, is gobsmacking.

The 12-team Playoff has had glaring issues from the outset, with first-round games mostly being one-sided snoozers — a direct byproduct of no college football season ever producing 12 teams capable of winning or deserving of competing for the national championship.

A more subjective argument against the 12-team Playoff is its diminished significance of regular-season games. The Oct. 17 slate offers a prime example.

One of the most remarkable Saturdays in recent memory, Week 7 would have marked the end of some brand-name programs’ national title aspirations in years past. In the case of a matchup like Ohio State’s 19-14 win at Indiana, the nail-biting finale could have been the first chapter in a series destined for completion at the Big Ten Championship Game.

Yet, because of the conference bloat that is a direct result of leagues looking to secure as many Playoff bids as possible, the Hoosiers now trail undefeated UCLA. The Bruins are having a terrific season under first-year coach Bob Chesney — but they also happen to miss both the Hoosiers and Buckeyes in the regular season.

Again, this position is more subjective. One could contend that more opportunities to reach the 12-team Playoff creates more high-stakes regular-season games involving more teams.

Extend this philosophy to 24 teams, and the meaning of what constitutes high stakes dilutes. This is especially true if the 24-bid Playoff excludes all conference champions as automatic berths, which is the system the NCAA uses for the Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs.

Using the current format with automatic bids for the four autonomy conference and a designated Group of Six berth, the 2025 season’s playoff would have shaped up as follows:

• Alabama vs. James Madison advances to face No. 8
• Miami vs. Iowa advances to face No. 7 Texas A&M
• Notre Dame vs. Georgia Tech advances to face No. 6 Ole Miss
• BYU vs. Houston advances to face No. 5 Oregon
• Texas vs. Tulane advances to face No. 4 Texas Tech
• Vanderbilt vs. Virginia advances to face No. 3 Georgia
• Utah vs. Michigan advances to face No. 2 Ohio State
• USC vs. Arizona advances to face No. 1 Indiana

The above includes a team in Iowa that lost four regular-season games — one-third of its schedule. The top eight seeds must win four games now instead of three to claim the title, which is also demanding they play another one-third of a season.

Compare that to March Madness, which requires six wins for a title. That’s only about 20 percent or less of a basketball team’s schedule going into the NCAA Tournament.

Meanwhile, the Playoff grew without ever so much as experimenting with an eight-team bracket. The inclusion of eight teams would have addressed even the most convoluted BCS seasons, like 2008, when Florida, Oklahoma, USC, Utah, Texas, Texas Tech and even Boise State all had cases to make for playing in a title game.

For posterity’s sake, an eight-team Playoff in 2025, laid out without automatic bids and only going off of the committee’s final regular-season rankings, would have appeared as follows:

• Indiana vs. Oklahoma
• Georgia vs. Texas A&M
• Ohio State vs. Ole Miss
• Texas Tech vs. Oregon

The above scenario may not be ideal, but would surely have less consensus against it than the upcoming 24-team variety.

Connacht will look to build on their brilliant Champions Cup win over Saracens when they return to United Rugby Championship action against Zebre Parma at Dexcom Stadium on Friday night.

Stuart Lancaster’s side produced one of the standout performances of the opening European weekend, scoring seven tries in a 45–36 victory over the former champions.

It was a result that few expected, particularly with Connacht having rested internationals Mack Hansen and Finlay Bealham. But the challenge now is to back it up against a Zebre side still searching for their first URC win of the season.

Connacht have won one and lost two of their opening three league games, so Friday offers an opportunity to improve that record before the URC table begins to take shape.

Connacht looking to build on Saracens win

The Saracens game showed just how dangerous Connacht can be when they get their attack moving. They recovered from an early 12–0 deficit and went on to score seven tries, with Ciarán Frawley crossing twice on his home debut.

There were still six tries conceded at the other end, however, and backs coach Gerard Mullen believes there is plenty of room for improvement.

Mullen said Connacht had left scores behind them against Saracens and conceded tries they were unhappy with. That will be a focus against Zebre, who are capable of playing an unstructured game and punishing sides that switch off.

Zebre struggling for wins

Zebre travel to Galway after a difficult start to their campaign. They have lost their opening three URC games and were beaten 40–21 by Ulster in the Challenge Cup last weekend.

The Italians have also lost their last six URC matches stretching back into last season. Their most recent URC win outside Italy came against Edinburgh in February 2025.

Those results, and Connacht’s performance against Saracens, make the home side clear favourites. But Mullen warned that games against teams struggling for results can be difficult.

The Connacht coach said his side needed to stick to their systems and improve again on the Saracens performance. He also expects Zebre to stay in the contest.

Connacht team news

Connacht have been boosted by the return to full training of Will Connors, Dave Heffernan and Harry West, with all three available for selection.

Shane Jennings and Thomas Connolly are ruled out as they go through graduated return-to-play protocols. There were no further updates on Dylan Tierney-Martin, Ben Murphy, Hugh Gavin or Byron Ralston.

Lancaster rested Hansen and Bealham against Saracens after they had played in each of Connacht’s opening three games. Whether either returns against Zebre will become clear when the matchday squad is named.

Connacht v Zebre head-to-head record

Connacht have an excellent recent record against Zebre, winning the last eight URC meetings between the sides.

Zebre’s last league victory over Connacht was a 19–11 win in Galway in February 2018. Overall, Connacht have won 17 of their league meetings with Zebre, with the Italian side winning three.

Connacht have also won their last six matches against Italian opposition since losing to Benetton in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals in April 2024.

Connacht v Zebre: What the stats say

Connacht have scored 101 points and 16 tries in four matches, while Zebre have scored 92 points and 12 tries in five. With the teams having played a different number of games, the per-game figures give a clearer comparison.

Connacht’s attacking figures are encouraging: they are averaging more carries, metres and tries per game, while the lineout figures also suggest an area where they could put Zebre under pressure.

Zebre have lost 14 of 82 lineouts, compared with three lost from 44 for Connacht. Zebre’s scrum success rate is slightly higher, however, and both sides are listed with a 97% ruck success rate.

The figures also show Connacht have kicked one penalty from eight attempts, compared with four from seven for Zebre. Connacht have scored nine conversions and Zebre 10.

In the URC specifically, Josh Ioane leads Connacht with three tries and 15 points. For Zebre, Giacomo Ferrari and Alessandro Fusco have scored two tries each, while Tommaso Allan leads their points tally with 13.

Connacht v Zebre betting odds and handicap

Connacht were giving Zebre a 17-point start on the handicap before the line moved to 21 points.

In this three-way handicap market, Connacht must win by at least 22 points for the -21 selection to win. A Connacht victory by exactly 21 points is the handicap draw. Odds may change before kick-off.

The movement to -21 shows just how strongly Connacht are fancied, but it is a big margin to cover. Their attack has shown it can score heavily, while Mullen’s comments suggest the coaching staff expect Zebre to make them work for the result.

Connacht v Zebre prediction

Connacht should win this game. They have the stronger recent form, an excellent record against Zebre and should take plenty of confidence from the Saracens performance.

The bigger question is whether they can produce the same energy and accuracy a week later, with the expectation now firmly on them. If Connacht get their attack going and cut out some of the scores they conceded last weekend, there should be opportunities to put points on the board.

Zebre’s results make it difficult to argue against a home win, but the move from -17 to -21 leaves a sizeable handicap, particularly if the visitors can stay in touch for as long as Mullen expects.

Match officials

Referee: Hanru van Rooyen

Assistant referee: Jack MacNeice

Assistant referee: Sam Holt

TMO: Egon Seconds

Paris Saint-Germain defeated Barcelona 4-2 in an exciting UEFA Champions League match on Tuesday night, while Manchester City, Liverpool, Napoli, Borussia Dortmund, Roma and PSV also recorded victories.

PSG took the lead in the 38th minute through Désiré Doué, who finished well after creating space for himself.

Barcelona responded after the break, with 19-year-old Xavi Espart scoring the equaliser. Lucas Hernández restored PSG’s lead in the 72nd minute, but Lamine Yamal levelled again seven minutes later.

Vitinha then put PSG ahead with a fine finish before Fabián Ruiz scored the fourth goal from Achraf Hakimi’s cross to seal the victory.

The result gave PSG their third consecutive win in the league phase, moving them to the top alongside Liverpool. Doué was named Player of the Match.

In England, Liverpool came from two goals down to beat Villarreal 4-3 at Anfield. Georges Mikautadze and Sergi Cardona gave the visitors a 2-0 lead before Alexis Mac Allister and an own goal by Ronald Araújo brought Liverpool level.

Mac Allister scored again, while Florian Wirtz added another goal to put Liverpool in control. Tani Oluwaseyi scored late for Villarreal, but Liverpool held on to maintain their perfect start.

Manchester City also enjoyed a big win, beating AEK Athens 5-1. Phil Foden scored a hat-trick, while Elliot Anderson and Rayan Cherki also found the net for the English side.

Napoli defeated Bodø/Glimt 4-3 in another high-scoring encounter. Scott McTominay scored twice, while Matteo Politano and an own goal by Odin Bjørtuft helped the Italian club secure their first Champions League win of the season. Sondre Brunstad Fet scored for the visitors late in the match.

Borussia Dortmund beat Sabah 2-1 in Baku, with Serhou Guirassy scoring both goals to earn his team all three points.

Roma recorded a comfortable 4-0 victory over Slovan Bratislava. Mario Hermoso, Nahuel Molina, Niccolò Pisilli and Donyell Malen scored as Roma claimed their first win of the league phase.

PSV Eindhoven also secured their first victory, beating Porto 1-0 away from home. Guus Til scored the only goal of the match, leaving Porto without a point after three games.

Meanwhile, Stuttgart and Atlético Madrid played out a 1-1 draw. Jamie Leweling gave Stuttgart the lead before Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman provided an assist for Julián Álvarez to equalise shortly after the restart.

Fenerbahçe and Slavia Praha also shared the points in a 2-2 draw. Oğuz Aydın and Mason Greenwood scored early for Fenerbahçe, but Slavia fought back, with Pavel Kačor scoring a late equaliser.

The Champions League action continues on Wednesday, with Manchester United facing Como, while Arsenal travel to Bayern Munich. Real Madrid will host Leipzig, and Aston Villa will take on Viking.