North Carolina State and Virginia Tech will meet Saturday in an Atlantic Coast Conference game with plenty at stake in Blacksburg, Va. For starters, the Wolfpack (7-3, 4-2) and Hokies (5-5, 4-2) sit tied for third in the conference with North Carolina. Dave Doeren's North Carolina State squad has won three straight games since losing 24-3 at then-No. 17 Duke on Oct. 14. However, winning has not been part of the team's recent trips to Blacksburg. The Wolfpack won there just once in four tries since 2004, including three consecutive setbacks. Doeren has never won in Blacksburg. Also on the losing end of games against the Hokies is Wolfpack starting quarterback Brennan Armstrong, who returned to the lineup in Saturday's 26-6 victory over Wake Forest. Armstrong, a graduate transfer from the Virginia Cavaliers, topped the game with 96 rushing yards and passed for 111. "They're the No. 1 pass defense in the league," Doeren said of the Hokies. "I'm excited to get to go play against a team that's playing well in a great environment. … A good challenge, looking forward to continuing the journey on the road in another senior day for another program. We know we're going to get their best." On Monday, Wolfpack linebacker Payton Wilson was named a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, handed out annually to the nation's top defensive player. With a win in their home finale, the Hokies would secure an appearance in a bowl game — the first in coach Brent Pry's tenure. The team went 3-8 in his first season (2022). Against Boston College last week, the Hokies scored 35 unanswered points in their first road win, 48-22, to snap the Eagles' five-game winning streak. Virginia Tech totaled 600 yards of offense — 363 via rushing on 51 carries (7.1 per rush). "(They) had the No. 1 run offense in the league, and they had 120 and we had 360, so we flipped the script there," Pry said. "That's about physicality and temperament." The Hokies lead the all-time series 28-19-4 and have been victorious in five of the past six meetings. —Field Level Media
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Liverpool and Manchester City are doing battle for the Premier League title and both sides also remain in the hunt for the Champions League.
The Reds face Porto on Wednesday, holding a 2-0 advantage from the first leg, and Jurgen Klopp will be hoping for a repeat of their rampant 5-0 victory at Estadio do Dragao in last season s round of 16 a game in which Sadio Mane starred.
City, meanwhile, host Tottenham, with Pep Guardiola s side having to comeback from a 1-0 deficit, though Mauricio Pochettino will have to do without Harry Kane, who was injured in the first leg.
Here are some essential Opta Facts as we close in on the business end of the competition.
Porto v Liverpool
3 Mane scored a hat-trick for Liverpool versus Porto last term…
St Johnstone have signed Kerr Smith on loan and striker Benjamin Kimpioka on a permanent deal, subject to international clearance.
Aston Villa announced 19-year-old Scottish central defender Kerr has signed a new contract before making the loan switch back north for the remainder of the season.
Saints also confirmed 23-year-old Swedish forward Kimpioka, who previously had a spell at Sunderland, has joined on an 18-month contract from AIK.
Smith will join up with Craig Levein’s squad immediately, although St Johnstone’s cinch Premiership game against Dundee at Dens Park has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
He began his senior career with Dundee United and made 12 first-team appearances, making his debut at Ibrox at the age of 16, before signi…
Thomas Tuchel hopes to have a fully-fit Chelsea squad for the EFL Cup final against Liverpool after Hakim Ziyech and Mateo Kovacic recovered from knocks, while Reece James could also return.
Ziyech and Kovacic were both doubtful for the Wembley showpiece after picking up injuries in Chelsea s routine 2-0 Champions League win over Lille in midweek, while James has not appeared since December 29.
Chelsea are seeking their fourth trophy under Tuchel, having already won the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup.
The Blues will also be the first team in English football history to compete in one of the major domestic cup finals (League Cup/FA Cup) in six consecutive campaigns on Sunday, having reached FA Cup finals in 2017, 2018, 2020 an…
Having joined Chelsea from RB Leipzig last summer, Christopher Nkunku missed a large chunk of the season so far through a knee injury. He recovered in time to appear in the final three games of 2023, but now he is injured again, and manager Mauricio Pochettino has expressed concern about the situation with the 26-year-old forward.
I am a little worried with the situation
Mauricio Pochettino on Christopher Nkunku s hip injury, who recently returned to the squad after a long-term injury and is now set for another period on the sidelines
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews)
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Romelu Lukaku has decided to continue playing in Europe, according to Fabrizio Romano, despite receiving a lucrative offer from a Saudi club. The 30-year-old striker, whose loan with Inter Milan from Chelsea officially expires at the end of the month, doesn t believe his time to leave European football has come.
Lukaku shone for Inter in his previous spell there, helping the Nerazzurri win the 2020/21 Scudetto, and though his loan back with the Serie A giants hasn t exactly gone as well, it has certainly gone better than 2021/22 with Chelsea. He scored 14 goals and produced seven assists in 37 matches across all competitions for Simone Inzaghi s side.
The 107-cap Belgium international is now due back at Stamford Bridge where he s under contract until 2026, with no agree…
Liverpool moved above Manchester City at the top of the Premier League with a 2-0 win over Watford in Saturday s early kick-off at Anfield.
The Reds knew that victory would see them leapfrog City, who face Burnley later in the day, for the first time since November 27 – even if only for a matter of hours.
Diogo Jota headed in from a Joe Gomez cross after 22 minutes to open the scoring and substitute Fabinho sealed a battling win with a penalty in the final minute.
Liverpool have now won 10 league games in a row ahead of next weekend s huge showdown with City, who are two points worse off with their game at Turf Moor to come.
Watford more than held their own in the early stages of the game and would have been in front if not for a good stop from Alisson…
Karim Adeyemi scored twice and set up another goal as Borussia Dortmund earned a 4-2 victory over visitors Heidenheim on Friday.
Adeyemi first set up Donyell Malen, who drilled his low shot through Kevin Muller to give the hosts the lead in the 12th minute.
The 22-year-old then doubled their advantage six minutes later with his first goal after completing a textbook break five minutes later.
Heidenheim briefly cut the deficit with Marvin Pieringer s powerful header after 39 minutes, but Dortmund restored their two-goal cushion before the break with Adeyemi s low drive wrongfooting the goalkeeper.
The visitors set up a nervy finish after being awarded a 74th-minute penalty for a foul by Niklas Sule on Mikkel Kaufmann, with Maximilian Breunig confidently hi…
Harry Kane has been included in Tottenham’s pre-season Asia-Pacific tour – but club captain Hugo Lloris will stay behind as the French goalkeeper looks to finalise a move to a new club.
England skipper Kane has entered the final 12 months of his Spurs contract and is attracting interest from Bayern Munich amid reports the Bundesliga champions have lodged a formal bid.
Along with some other international players, Kane returned for pre-season training on Wednesday, with new head coach Ange Postecoglou set to lay out his vision for success to the club’s leading scorer.
The travelling squad for our pre-season Asia-Pacific Tour has been confirmed
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial)
Spurs confirmed veteran goalkeeper Lloris had been granted p…
Erling Haaland should be licking his lips at the prospect of facing RB Leipzig when Manchester City continue their quest to lift the Champions League for the first time on Wednesday.
City travel to Leipzig for the first leg of their round of 16 tie smarting from slipping off the top of the Premier League table with a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
The combination of both City and striker Haaland s great record against the Bundesliga side would suggest they ought to secure a place in the quarter-finals of Europe s premier club competition.
Inter have home advantage when they face Porto in the other round of 16 first-leg clash on Wednesday and the Serie A side boast an impressive home record against Portuguese clubs.
Stats Perform pick out the s…
Viktor Gyokeres and Zeno Debast fired Sporting CP to a 2-0 Champions League win over Lille on Tuesday, after Angel Gomes sending-off reduced the French side to 10 men.
Sporting created a number of good chances in the first half but were kept at bay by Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier, until Gyokeres latched onto a delightful pass from Pedro Goncalves to open the scoring in the 38th minute.
Two minutes later, Lille were reduced to 10 men when England international Gomes was shown a second yellow card for tripping Gyokeres, having earlier been booked for a push on Francisco Trincao.
In the second half, Debast unleashed a superb long-range effort into the top-right corner to seal victory for the home side.
The Portuguese club are sixth in the early Champions…