It’s time for spiritual restoration and creative expansion. As we round out Cancer season, we’re welcoming a much-needed change of pace. Mars, the planet of action, began a six-week transit in Virgo last week, and Mercury is continuing its two-week transit through the sign of Leo. This Earth-Fire combo sparks a blend of intellect and action in our minds and in our lives. The highlight of this week is the Cancer new moon occurring at 2:32 p.m. EST on July 17. This occurs on the same day that the lunar nodes switch out of the Taurus-Scorpio axis and enter the Libra-Aries axis. The next year and a half will feel karmically lighter and more expansive as a result of this shift, and all zodiac signs would benefit from focusing on living in the moment rather than trying to project themselves into the future. Venus begins its six-week retrograde in Leo on July 22 at 9:33 p.m. EST, signaling a time for introspection and reexamination of one’s core values. Less than twenty minutes later, the Sun enters Leo for the next four weeks. This Leo season will have a cosmic twist to it due to the energy of Venus retrograde asking us to be boldly honest with ourselves and learn from our past. What need for social approval can you do your best to release at this time? This week encourages us to direct our attention to intimately approving of our own selves, right here, right now, without seeking external validation. Validate yourself instead.

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Rob Page insists Wales can still automatically qualify for Euro 2024 next summer, despite suffering a second successive group defeat in Turkey. Wales suffered a 2-0 loss in Samsun on the back of Friday’s horror show against Armenia, when opponents ranked 97th in the world claimed a 4-2 victory in Cardiff. Having reached the halfway point of their eight-game campaign, Wales are five points behind leaders Turkey and two adrift of Armenia who have a game in hand. Group favourites Croatia are level on points with Wales having played two fewer games. Wales are almost certainly guaranteed a play-off spot through their Nations League ranking, but manager Page insists Wales can secure one of the automatic two qualifying spots on offer in Group D. “Absolutely (I believe that),” said Page, who has overseen just one win in 12 games since Wales qualified for the World Cup last June. “To do it, we need to get both sides of the game bang on and do it really well, if we are to be successful. “It’s been a frustrating camp but there have been so many lessons to learn from it. “We will address it. We go into every game to win it. It just means it’s really important we get wins at home and get as many points from them.” Wales were left with an uphill task from the 41st minute when midfielder Joe Morrell caught Ferdi Kadioglu high with his studs and was sent off. It was Wales’ second red card in as many games after Kieffer Moore was dismissed against Armenia. Danny Ward saved Hakan Calhanoglu’s 64th-minute penalty after Aaron Ramsey had handled Kadioglu’s cross. But Turkey’s pressure told as substitutes Umut Nayir and Arda Guler scored in the final 18 minutes. Page said: “Whenever you come to Turkey away, you know it’s a tough test. “Having said that, before the sending off, I thought we matched them and I was really pleased with the performance defensively, which we obviously addressed off the back of Friday’s result. “With the ball I thought we got Aaron and others in great positions up the pitch and we were brave to play through them. “We looked at the footage and we thought that was an area we could exploit and that was working up until the sending off happens. Completely changes the game. “Up until the 70th minute I thought we defended our box really well, only one cross into our own box and it cost us, that first goal. “He (Morrell) is not intentionally doing it. He’s got his eye on the ball, but when you put your foot that high, you run the risk of getting a red card. “He knows it. There’s nobody more disappointed than Joe in the changing room.” Turkey boss Stefan Kuntz was relieved to get the victory, especially after his side twice had the ball in the net only to be denied by VAR checks. Kuntz said: “I might need to wait next time until I cheer. It’s been a difficult time for us and for the fans and in the second half we needed to be calmer. “We tried to manage the game in the second half and the fans were very helpful.”

As Newcastle United prepare for their first Champions League home match in over 20 years, their owners have far bigger plans, that could well supersede Europe’s premier competition for decades. The Public Investment Fund and wider Saudi Pro League are targeting Fifa’s first expanded 32-team Club World Cup, to take place in the USA in 2025, to make a major statement of their football power. Such ambitions would also have the added effect of amplifying the prestige of the revised tournament, especially if the Saudi Pro League’s teams at that point feature an even greater proportion of the world’s best players, so as to make it a rival to the Champions League The next phase of a plan that is both a sporting project and a sportswashing project comes as Uefa have made it clear that Saudi Arabian clubs will not be allowed cross confederations to enter their competitions. Internal and informal discussions about the issue involved arguments over whether allowing such a transcontinental switch would facilitate some form of cost control given the disruptive nature of Saudi spending in the last window, but it was ultimately felt this would be an integration similar to LIV Golf. Uefa would also lose the unique leverage that comes with the Champions League. The ambition from Saudi Pro League clubs and the Public Investment Fund - who own four clubs in the competition - is instead to aim for the Club World Cup and help improve its prestige, as that could ensure a glamorous alternative to the Champions League that eventually supersedes it. While many might sniff at that, the argument is that attitudes will change if it features many of the best players in the world. The circumstances have been further conditioned by tension between Uefa and Fifa over a range of issues, but the riches of the club game have proved a core subject. Fifa president Gianni Infantino has long wanted a competition to rival the Champions League, but one that he feels should benefit the wider football world too. An issue is that any expanded Club World Cup would initially need the major European names to make it lucrative, which is why there had previously been talk of £80m offers to the biggest clubs to participate when the idea was first broached before the Covid crisis interrupted the game. Fifa’s plans at that point had been to fund the Club World Cup with Softbank, whose largest investors for the Vision Fund are the Public Investment Fund, the 80 per cent owners of Newcastle United. Such reports brought fury from many stakeholders, because of the argument that figures of that scale would wreak havoc on the competitive balance within domestic competitions. If Boca Juniors and River Plate got huge money for one edition, as an example, it could ensure no one in Argentina is able to financially match them for a decade. Fifa would argue financial mechanisms still need to be resolved, and that this serves to spread the wealth of the game beyond western Europe. That plan was ultimately shelved as the game came together amid Covid, but has since been revised for the 2025 competition. That Club World Cup in effect replaces the Confederations Cup as preparation for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, but with the aim of making it a valued tournament in its own right. That is why the Saudi Pro League’s financial power could be so key to the project. While some former players within Uefa do back the project for reasons of football purism, there is concern that it could be an “Indian Premier League or Kerry Packer-style” disruption with huge impact. Whatever the outcome, Saudi ambition could give both the country’s clubs and Fifa the glamour for the Club World Cup that both want. It could have huge repercussions for the Champions League, without letting Saudi Pro League clubs in. Read More The Premier League now faces a credibility ‘crisis’ – and latest VAR farce is just the tip Sir Jim Ratcliffe reportedly considering minority stake bid for Manchester United Frank Lampard explains why he is ‘not surprised’ by Chelsea’s struggles PGA Tour have received interest from investors other than LIV Golf Chelsea finally catch a break as Mykhailo Mudryk gets his moment Mauricio Pochettino vows to continue to show belief in Chelsea’s young stars

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Worse than a defeat that could decide Manchester United’s Champions League season, this was almost multiple losses in one as Erik ten Hag’s hapless side found new ways to just collapse. Twice. An evening that had almost everything left United with nothing, and looking so unconvincing. It wasn’t quite defeat from the jaws of victory but farce from the semblance of competence. United somehow lost 4-3 in Copenhagen to leave themselves in danger of going out at the group stage for the third time in eight years. They are currently bottom of the group, but that only comes after they just bottomed out. United had been leading mere minutes from the end of normal time in both halves and, incredibly, twice went in behind. The second was of course the one that mattered, as Ten Hag’s side disappeared from view to the soundtrack of raucously celebrating Copenhagen fans. This was one of the greatest nights of their history. It was one of United’s most miserable recent results, which is saying something. There were mitigating factors, such as Marcus Rashford’s contentious red card, but they don’t fully explain this. It is why the word “somehow” does a lot of the heavy lifting here, in the way United’s ponderous midfield didn’t. The blunt truth was that this brought together many of the problems Ten Hag has been enduring from this season. Above anything, beyond the lack of tactical idea, there was the lack of conviction. That’s where the biggest issue lies. It just should never have got to this in the modern Champions League against a club as moderately resourced as Copenhagen. It should never be the case that a serial Champions League winner like Raphael Varane offers up a late pass like that. It said so much about the game, and what was wrong. The manner of their final two match-winning goals were so easy, and the most damning aspect of that was they almost represented a mirror of how the game started. The defeat was all the more galling because of how good it looked. United were through and ahead without even doing too much. Aaron Wan-Bissaka was presented with a route down the right that saw Scott McTominay free right by the goal. He so easily squared for Rasmus Hojlund to just slot in. The young Dane was back where he grew up and making himself at home again. The second was an even easier finish, although did admittedly require more graft to get there. It had also come out of a situation where there was a warning for United. Copenhagen were beginning to get at their defence more. Openings were appearing. Through that, though, a massive opening appeared behind them. From one defensive clearance, Alejandro Garnacho just surged forward to force a save from Kamil Grabara but there was Hojlund to just tap it in again. It looked so easy but of course came from a pounding run as the rest of the Copenhagen defence was concentrating on Garnacho. That was an admittedly rare burst, though. It was conspicuous even before that goal that United were trying to cautiously control the game. It was like Ten Hag was trying to build confidence in the gameplan again. They were so studiously keeping possession and looking to construct moves, but without too many strides. That made what followed all the more ironic. The game quickly went out of all control. Perhaps the two are connected. It might not have got to that had they seized the initiative. But they were 2-0 ahead. It should have been safe. It ended up coming down to an interpretation over Marcus Rashford’s level of control. Either way, the referee judged it was a red card, and off the forward went. That happened at 42 minutes, which might have been time enough for United to just see it to half-time. There were instead a massive 13 minutes of stoppage time, although two of those were admittedly for moments unrelated to play. One was when a supporter ran on with a Palestinian flag. Another, shortly afterwards, was when a different fan had to be tended to by medics. The stadium announcer mercifully stated soon afterwards that he was awake and well. All of that still meant there were more than 20 minutes for United to play through until the break, but they began to fold with alarming speed. Diogo Goncalves had already hit the bar with a free-kick. On exactly 45 minutes, he squared for Mohamed Elyounoussi to finish. The Copenhagen crowd had already been buoyant, especially behind that goal, but they were by now electric. There was that sense of opportunity. It was far from the last time that was to happen. It was also a moment that brought another debatable decision - although this admittedly the least of them. The ball struck Harry Maguire’s hand in the area, and Goncalves struck his penalty well. There were a mere 10 minutes between Rashford’s red and the penalty decision. Making the result even worse, they were then granted a reprieve through a decision that was far more debatable. There was another handball that can only be described as a “Champions League decision”. Bruno Fernandes at least ensured the penalty was beyond doubt, smashing it into the top corner. This, with 10 men, was when Ten Hag’s more cautious control might have been warranted. They should have just seen the game out in a professional and tactical manner. That’s just now how you can describe United at the moment, though. They have persistently been playing with the fear that it can all suddenly go wrong, as if one bad moment can lead to an entire bad game. So it was. There was another lightning quick collapse, the goals even easier than those Hojlund had plundered in the first half. On 83 minutes, Rasmus Falk crossed for Lukas Lerager to finish from close range. On 87, substitute Roony Bardghji smashed home a deserved goal that saw the Parken Stadion erupt. The game ended with Copenhagen, and their budget that is a fraction of United’s, just playing the ball around with ease. The next game away to Galatasaray now might be one the entire season - and potentially Ten Hag’s future - hinges on. Read More Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli dazzle to lead Arsenal towards Champions League last-16 Man Utd throw away lead twice after Rashford red in damaging Copenhagen defeat Copenhagen vs Man Utd LIVE: Champions League result and reaction Rumours: Chelsea and Man Utd want £43m full-back as Arsenal delay Toney chase Jacob Neestrup: Parken atmosphere is 100 times more intense than Old Trafford

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