#match-preview

#match-preview

Starting with the hosts, while Bologna might have entered November's international break in the midst of a real purple patch, Vincenzo Italiano's men have drastically failed to find any kind of stability over the past couple of months. Tumbling down the Serie A standings and desperately searching for a much-welcomed boost, the Greyhounds have recorded just a single win from any of their previous nine appearances across all competitions within 90 minutes.

Senegal enter as one of the tournament favourites, while Botswana aim to upset the odds and claim their first-ever win at an AFCON finals. Senegal The Teranga Lions arrive for their 18th AFCON appearance-and sixth in a row-after lifting the trophy in 2021. Their qualification campaign for Morocco 2025 was near flawless, going unbeaten in six matches, conceding just once, and finishing with the joint-best defensive record alongside Mali.

Starting with the hosts, while Sporting Gijon might have found themselves at the heart of a worrying rut on either side of November's international break, Borja Jimenez's side have come roaring back in an eye-catching fashion over the past fortnight. Last seen over the weekend putting in another gritty performance as they secured a 1-0 victory at home against Granada, Los Rojiblancos have found a route back into the play-off places.

I knew I'd be asked more about our opponents than about Alaves... it's not my place to comment on that, but Real Madrid are very prestigious opponents and they have a manager who's earned his position for a reason. It will be very difficult because they have a lot of resources, but we will try to maintain our style and take the initiative.

I guess you've seen Sean Dyche's teams over the years. Are they easy or difficult to play against? Difficult. Very difficult. I expect a very, very difficult game against a team that's managed by a good colleague, a friend of mine in the game. And every single time I see his team, everything I'm analysing, they're extremely competitive. Then they play home. That's a difficult place to go.

Riccardo Calafiori is suspended for Arsenal, while Max Dowman (ankle), Cristhian Mosquera (ankle), Leandro Trossard (knock), Gabriel (thigh) and Kai Havertz (knee) are all set to miss out. Declan Rice (illness), William Saliba (knock) and Jurrien Timber (knock) add to Arsenal's worries but could still each feature. For Wolves, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde may be unavailable after being forced off during the loss to United. Rodrigo Gomes (groin), Marshall Munetsi (calf), Leon Chiwone (knee) and Daniel Bentley (ankle) will not play.

Best odds: 17/14 Bookmaker: BetUS Celtic and Roma collide at Celtic Park on Thursday evening in a pivotal Europa League clash, with both sides eager to strengthen their chances of reaching the knockout stage. Separated by just two points in the standings, neither team is assured of a top-24 finish, adding extra weight to this first-ever competitive meeting. The only time they faced each other before was a friendly match back in July 2004, which Roma won as Giallorossi icon Francesco Totti scored the only goal of the game.

It's an immensely difficult game. I think we're going to play against the best team in Europe. Besides the individual talent, they have a collective aspect that's out of the ordinary, which makes it difficult. Their game is very mobile. They're a great team and have a great coach. We're going to do our best to compete and try to win, that's the objective, despite the difficulty of the task. We're going to do our utmost to honor Sporting,

Bayern Munich is back in Frauen-Bundesliga action following an international break that saw Germany fall 3-0 on aggregate over two legs to Spain in the Women's Nations League Final. FC Bayern have run rampant in the league this season and sit in first place with cushion, although their opponents, Eintracht Frankfurt, are putting in one of the stronger campaigns among the rest of the field and currently sit in fifth, having only played 10 matches to Bayern's 11.

VfB Stuttgart head coach Sebastian Hoeneß has a long history with Bayern Munich, including his time as the manager of Bayern II. What does that mean? Well, mostly that Hoeneß knows better than to think a Bayern Munich team that has not looked quite right of late is going to be easy to take advantage of.

Barça is Barça. They have great players, and they can always play a perfect game. Maybe they haven't managed it in recent matches, but they can do it on Tuesday,

Aston Villa will be keen to build on their European ventures with a big win against Midlands rivals Wolves. The Villans ran out 2-1 winners against Young Boys on Thursday night, and face the quick turn around, unlike their Premier League rivals, who have had a full weeks' rest. Last time out in the top flight, Villa went to Elland Road and won, a big result for the division's most in-form teams.