Germany forward Niclas Füllkrug has scored his first Champions League goal and national teammate Julian Brandt added another for Borussia Dortmund to beat visiting Newcastle 2-0

It is a homecoming with a difference: not to the place where it all started, but to the ground where it almost finished. Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest on the Parken Stadium pitch at Euro 2020. His life could have ended, yet he is almost two years into a comeback. And it remains remarkable that Eriksen has returned to play for one of the game’s biggest clubs (Manchester United’s recent travails aside), at a World Cup, and in the Champions League. Eriksen has appeared at the Parken Stadium since, most recently in a 3-1 win over Kazakhstan three weeks ago. Now, once again, Denmark’s national ground will welcome arguably the greatest Danish footballer since Peter Schmeichel and the Laudrup brothers. Also there will be the most-expensive-ever Danish footballer, with the £72m Rasmus Hojlund alongside Eriksen in United’s ranks. Eriksen might be there from the start this time. Erik ten Hag might have erred in United’s meeting with FC Copenhagen two weeks ago, initially benching Eriksen for a first half where the Danish champions were the more impressive side. But with a practised assurance in possession, a Dane helped his side assume the initiative thereafter. It seems a relatively safe assumption that Eriksen will start the rematch. And yet his fluctuating status is a sign of United’s midfield conundrum, his strengths and weaknesses indicative of the mismatched and very different options. It is a simplification to say that those who can run aren’t particularly good with the ball at their feet and those who can excel with the ball aren’t particularly good at running; but perhaps not much of one. The immobility of Eriksen and Casemiro can be an issue: bringing in Hannibal Mejbri or Scott McTominay adds graft, but at the expense of craft. The young Tunisian’s hapless first half against Galatasaray prompted Ten Hag to send for Eriksen as an antidote; a player who could combine the Scot’s athleticism with the Dane’s technical ability may be United’s ideal. The difficulties may be compounded by Ten Hag’s preference for man-marking in midfield, sometimes submitting a less athletic player to an unfair contest; Eriksen spent the first half of the Manchester derby struggling to track Bernardo Silva. It may explain why – especially as Casemiro seems to be slowing – he looked to be reinvented as a specialist substitute. And yet, there were three games – against Galatasaray, Brentford and Copenhagen – where Eriksen had to be summoned at half-time to fix a broken midfield; twice United ended up winning, and the defeat by the Turkish side could scarcely be blamed on the Dane, who still made a difference. Damningly and undiplomatically, Ten Hag said he removed Casemiro for Eriksen against Brentford because he “wanted more football”. And, for a manager who has spent £400m, a 31-year-old free transfer, a player who finds it difficult to play 90 minutes, has a unique skill set: Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes can attempt ambitious passes, but Eriksen is the only genuine playmaker. When Ten Hag attempted to explain his ethos – and how he was trying to fuse the best of Ajax with United’s traditions and current players – on Friday, it was notable he put Eriksen in a category of his own. McTominay and Fernandes were mentioned along with Marcus Rashford, Antony and Hojlund among players who can press in the final third and benefit from direct attacks. Those qualities were matched “with the passing of Christian Eriksen”, said Ten Hag. Perhaps, had Casemiro been fit rather than out for several weeks, he might have been bracketed alongside his fellow veteran. Instead, it suggested that Eriksen is the lone passer. The Dutchman’s words can confuse. His deeds are instructive, though. Twice, Eriksen was preferred to Sofyan Amrabat: first when the Morocco international was brought off at the break when Copenhagen visited Old Trafford, then when Eriksen started as the deepest midfielder at Fulham on Saturday. It is a harder strategy to employ when a specialist defensive midfielder is required. The context suggests Ten Hag’s midfield plans are in ruins. The summer recruitment brought in Mason Mount, scarcely a like-for-like replacement for Eriksen, with the intention of constructing a new trio with Casemiro and Fernandes. It promised a different dynamic: more high pressing, removing one deep-lying distributor. Go back a year and Eriksen was supplying assists in copious quantities. Results suggested he and Casemiro were well matched: after United lost the first time they started together, they won on 15 of the next 18 occasions. How United would settle for that kind of record now, with any midfield combination. Instead, they have the sense that, Fernandes apart, there are no automatic choices now – that the heart of the team is in a state of flux. But Eriksen is the midfield’s artist and, as he returns to his homeland, the Danish public can at least savour the sight of the player and the man they almost lost. Read More Man City v Young Boys LIVE: Latest Champions League updates Outclassed Newcastle left on the brink of anticlimactic Champions League exit FA asks Mikel Arteta and Arsenal for observations after referee comments Man City v Young Boys LIVE: Latest Champions League updates Outclassed Newcastle left on the brink of anticlimactic Champions League exit FA asks Mikel Arteta and Arsenal for observations after referee comments

Niclas Fullkrug and Julian Brandt dealt Newcastle’s Champions League hopes a potentially fatal blow as Borussia Dortmund completed the double over Eddie Howe’s injury-hit side. Fullkrug’s first-half strike and Brandt’s effort 11 minutes from time secured a 2-0 Group F victory in front of a sell-out 81,365 crowd at Signal Iduna Park to go with their 1-0 success at St James’ Park two weeks ago. But the outcome might have been very different had Joelinton not headed wide from point-blank range at 1-0 amid a concerted fightback by the Premier League side, who have now taken four points from as many games, three fewer than Dortmund. Edin Terzic’s men will nevertheless feel they were good value for their win on a night when they bounced back from a nightmare 4-0 defeat by arch rivals Bayern Munich on their own pitch in determined fashion, to the delight of their famous Yellow Wall. For Magpies head coach Eddie Howe, whose side must realistically take at least a point at Paris St Germain later this month to stand any chance of progressing, it proved a sobering evening as he was forced to abandon his initial plan to field 19-year-old Lewis Hall at left-back at half-time after an early booking left him in severe jeopardy. Hall had stepped into a team left threadbare by injuries in which Tino Livramento started on the right side of a three-man frontline. Hall left himself on a tightrope when he was booked for hauling back Fullkrug after Brandt had played a pass in behind him, and he was relieved to see his sliced effort to clear Brandt’s resulting free-kick loop over his own crossbar. Nick Pope was called upon for the first time to parry Fullkrug’s 13th-minute strike after slick inter-play between Felix Nmecha and Brandt, and he had to be just as resilient three minutes later to repel Karim Adeyemi’s attempt with the home side building momentum. Newcastle edged their way into the game and forced an opening when Kieran Trippier and Hall worked a short corner move, only for the teenager’s driven cross to elude all his waiting team-mates. The visitors’ task grew in difficulty with 26 minutes gone when, having passed up several opportunities to clear their lines, they were punished when Fullkrug stabbed Marcel Sabitzer’s scuffed cross past Pope from close range. Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel dealt comfortably with Fabian Schar’s goal-bound header from a Trippier corner, while the hosts nearly increased their lead nine minutes before the break when Sabitzer lifted a shot wastefully over at the end of a pacy attack. The Magpies had a chance to level on the stroke of half-time when Jamaal Lascelles returned Trippier’s corner across goal, but Joelinton’s header was picked off by Kobel to cap a difficult half for the visitors. Howe made his move at the break when he replaced Hall and striker Callum Wilson with Miguel Almiron and Anthony Gordon and asked Livramento to drop in at right-back with Trippier moving to the left. His side instantly looked better balanced and Kobel had to turn away a dangerous Livramento cross before Almiron scooped a shot wide of his right post, although Pope had to palm away a Brandt snapshot as the hosts responded. However, Newcastle should have been back in it 11 minutes after the break when Bruno Guimaraes played Livramento into space down the right and his cross was perfectly weighted to present Joelinton with a free header, which he planted wide with the goal at his mercy. An increasingly open game left both defences exposed, but it was Newcastle’s which was picked apart with 11 minutes remaining after Trippier’s free-kick had failed to beat the first man. Adeyemi sent the ball upfield to leave Livramento to deal with both Brandt and Sabitzer, and the former kept his cool to draw the defender and fire low past Pope. Read More FA asks Mikel Arteta and Arsenal for observations after referee comments Tragedy chanting causes ‘unbearable pain’ and must stop – Margaret Aspinall ‘Just ridiculous’ – A closer look at Glenn Maxwell’s remarkable double century Wales’ Sam Costelow out until new year with shoulder and hamstring injuries Luton threaten to ban fans involved in ‘tragedy chanting’ during Liverpool match Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: Spurs went down with flag held high but loss hurts a lot

Tiger Woods now has his hands in everything about TGL

Tiger Woods says he is pain-free in his right ankle after fusion surgery in April

Retired Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim says he is relaxed and loving retirement

Tennessee coach Mike Vrabel said Tuesday that rookie Will Levis will remain the Titans starting quarterback after two starts in place of injured veteran Ryan Tannehill

Manchester City can take a big step forward in their Champions League campaign when Young Boys visit the Etihad Stadium this evening. Pep Guardiola’s side have won all three of their matches in European competition this season and will secure their place in the knockout rounds with victory over the Swiss side. There are doubts over the fitness of Erling Haaland who was withdrawn at half-time during City’s 6-1 win against Bournemouth at the weekend but the Norwegian striker was spotted training with the team earlier this week. Guardiola himself has hinted at possible training so there is no guarantee Haaland will play even if he is fit. Young Boys were beaten 3-1 in the reverse fixture last month and, having only picked up one point from their three matches, will be battling it out against Red Star Belgarde to clinch third spot in the group and a place in the Europa League. Follow all the Champions League action below plus get the latest odds and tips for this match right here:

EA Sports FC 24 Pundit Picks are here in Ultimate Team. Here's everything you need to know including schedule, players released so far and leaks.

San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama has experienced the wide spectrum of highs and lows during this first couple of weeks in the NBA

Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner says he questioned current and former players along with staff on whether to keep Aaron Boone before deciding the New York manager will return next year

The Eubank fighting family tree has three brothers, three sons and they have been in 170 professional fights during the past 40 years. There was a time when Simon and Peter, who are twins, and their younger brother, Chris, were all known as “Eubanks”. It was Chris who dropped the S and it was Chris who refused to join the hard, hard circuit. Simon and Peter lost a combined total of 41 fights; Chris was beaten just five times in 52. Chris, the dad as he is often known, is the father of Chris Jr and the late Sebastian. He put Brighton and Hove on the boxing map, but he only fought there five times in total. He is also the adviser to his nephew, Harlem, whose father Simon died in September. There is enough glory and grief in the house of Eubank. And it is no longer a happy soap opera with comical turns by Chris in jodhpurs. The three fighting sons were all born in the Brighton area on the south coast; the twins were born in Manchester and Chris Sr was born near Peckham in south London. They all helped make Brighton their fighting town. Chris Sr had a short period in New York, before returning to fight in Brighton. They have all trained in a gym below sea level in Hove. It is a boxing shrine. Sebastian was unbeaten in two as a professional when he died in Dubai in 2021; it was announced as a heart attack, but his father is still trying to find out exactly what happened. Chris has spoken eloquently about his attempts at dealing with the immense grief of losing his son; the death of his brother, Simon, has added to his suffering. Working with Harlem has helped him get back on track; he remains an outspoken critic of the proposed fight between his son, Chris, and Conor Benn – the son of his own fiercest rival, Nigel. Chris Eubank Sr fought 52 times, was British boxing’s biggest attraction in the Nineties and is still a strong fixture on the celebrity circuit; he has been in some dark places since the death of his youngest son. On Friday, he will be with Harlem when a Eubank fights once again in Brighton; Harlem meets Germany’s Timo Schwarzkopf at the Brighton Centre. It is not a walkover. Eubank Sr defended his WBO middleweight title against Dan Sherry in Brighton in 1991 and only Harlem has fought in the seaside town since then; Harlem won his debut at the Metropole Hotel in 2017. Harlem’s father, Simon, had the hardest career of the lot. He fought as Simon Eubanks, and he was thrown in with world champions and British champions at short notice and with no chance of winning. He finished his career with seven wins from 27 fights. He was fearless and never went to lose; he never fought like a loser. Peter, who fought as Peter Eubanks, beat a young Barry McGuigan one night in Brighton in 1981 at the Corn Exchange. It was a big shock, but a fair result; Peter could fight. McGuigan won the rematch in Belfast. Peter lost 21 of his 35 fights but he was a real handful, not an easy journeyman to beat. The numbers are misleading for the twins, and handled differently and with care, they could have been very good fighters. It will be an emotional return for the Eubank fighting family at the Brighton Centre on Friday night. Harlem is unbeaten in 18 fights and will need to find some calm on that long walk to the ring to overcome Schwarzkopf. He will be walking through a tunnel of family members, family memories and local fans. He will also be walking in the footsteps of his father, uncles and cousins. It is a very serious homecoming. Read More What is an exhibition fight and how is it different to a professional bout? The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings Anthony Joshua reveals how much cannabis he smoked as a teenager