GM football fans. It’s Thursday, May. 01 - Europa League projections, Chelsea Women win the WSL title, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.

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KEY RESULTS

UEFA Europa League, Semi-Finals, 20:00 / 15:00: Athletic Club vs. Manchester United. United are the only club that haven’t lost a match in the 2024-25 Europa League, albeit they have only won twice on the road with neither victory occurring in the knockout phase. Meanwhile, Athletic Club are fourth in La Liga, and haven’t lost a game in the league in their last 10 home matches. Tottenham Hotspur vs. Bodo/Glimt. Bodo/Glimt have lost all three of their European meetings with English clubs, losing home and away against Arsenal in the Europa League. They also lost 3-2 away at Man Utd earlier this campaign in the league phase.

Results…

• Champions League: Barcelona 3-3 Inter Milan (Report)

• WSL: Aston Villa 5-2 Arsenal | Man Utd 0-1 Chelsea (Table)

TOP TALKING POINTS

Europa League Projections

The Europa League semi-final first legs begin on Thursday (May 1), with the second leg to follow next week.

Tottenham Hotspur host Bodo/Glimt in the first leg. According to Opta’s prediction model, Spurs have a 66.6% chance of reaching the final and a 58.5% chance of winning the first leg. Bodø/Glimt, the first Norwegian club to reach a major European semi-final, have just a 19.9% chance of an away win.

Manchester United will travel to Bilbao for their first leg. The prediction model backs Athletic Club to carry a lead into the return fixture, with a 48.8% chance of winning at home. United are given just a 25.5% chance of an away victory.

Overall, Spurs are 32.6% favourites to win the competition, followed closely by Athletic Club’s 31%. Manchester United are third (24.3%) and Bodo/Glimt are fourth (12.1%).

Chelsea’s Record WSL

Chelsea Women have secured a record eighth Women’s Super League title with two matches to spare, following a 1-0 away win against Manchester United. The Blues remain unbeaten through 20 rounds and could still finish the WSL season without a defeat.

Chelsea have now won six consecutive top-flight titles, five under Emma Hayes, and their first in 2015. Only Liverpool have also achieved back-to-back league crowns. Sonia Bompastor becomes just the second manager to win the title in her debut season, after Arsenal’s Laura Harvey in the league’s inaugural 2011 campaign.

Bompastor’s side remain in contention for the treble, having already won the Women’s League Cup and set to face Manchester United in the FA Cup final on May 18.

Ancelloti’s Move Blocked

Carlo Ancelotti’s move to manage the Brazil national team has collapsed, with reports suggesting that Real Madrid blocked the deal. Although verbal agreements were reached, the Brazil Football Confederation (CBF) ended negotiations “after Real Madrid made [Ancelotti’s] release difficult.”

Real are reportedly unhappy with the visibility and financial terms of Ancelotti’s potential exit from the club, and are unwilling to pay the remainder of his contract, which expires in 2026. Ancelotti was reportedly seeking around €4m in compensation. Sources close to Real claim (in Spanish) they hadn’t put up any obstacles for Ancelotti’s departure.

Meanwhile, reports in Spain claim Ancelotti has received an offer from Saudi Arabia worth €50m per season. The new frontrunner for the Brazil job is now Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus, who currently manages Al-Hilal.

POLL

ON THE BALL

Europe

> Manchester City midfielder Rodri has returned to full training after his ACL injury (More) | Dubai-based property company DAMAC will be Chelsea’s front-of-shirt sponsor until the end of the season (More)

> Real Madrid defenders Ferland Mendy and David Alaba could both have potential season-ending injuries (More)

> Birmingham City have broken the English Football League (EFL) points record with a win over Blackpool, taking their League One total to 108 with one game remaining (More)

> The co-owner of Hull City Ladies, Daniel Johnson, has been accused of multiple instances of aggressive behaviour (More)

> Bayern Munich defender Eric Dier has agreed to join Monaco as a free agent when his contract with the Bundesliga club expires in the summer (More)

Americas

> In the Liga MX Clausura play-in competition, Pachuca beat Monterrey 2-1 and advanced to face Club America as the seventh seed; 10-man Pumas defeated Juarez on penalties and will play Monterrey on May 4 for the final playoff spot (More) | Learn about Liga MX’s season structure (More)

> Reilyn Turner’s header for Portland Thorns has won the NWSL Goal of the Week (Watch)

Rest of the World

> Al-Nassr have been knocked out of the AFC Champions League in a 3-2 defeat to Kawasaki Frontale; Cristiano Ronaldo is set to have another trophyless season (More) | Watch Tatsuya Ito’s incredible volley (Watch)

> Li Tie, the former head coach of China’s men’s team who played for Everton in the Premier League, has lost an appeal against his 20-year prison sentence for offering and accepting bribes (More)

> Fifa will fund research into whether hormonal fluctuations during menstrual cycles could be contributing to the rise in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in women's football (More)

ROUTERS’ VOICE

Yesterday’s Poll: Do you support domestic opponents when they play in continental competitions?

🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 👏 Absolutely... (55%)

🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ 🙅‍♂️ Nope... (37%)

🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other... (8%)

Your punditry takes:

• 👏 S.B: “I hadn’t when I first started following football. Although club rivalry will never die out (nor should it), I now like to see the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool do well in European competitions. I guess some of us mellow with age.”

• 👏 D.J: “We have more in common with teams based at home - whatever their 'rival' status - than on the continent.”

• 🙅‍♂️ J.P: “Why would you start supporting a team from your own country and want them to win in Europe when you don’t want them to win domestic leagues?”

• ✍️ P.M.H: “For any teams that are direct competition to my team, I'm happy for them to progress, as they're more likely to incur injuries, and hopefully dumb down their squad in the domestic league to preserve fitness; as long as they don't actually win the whole competition. It's best they get knocked out in the semis in case they fluke it in the final.”

EXTRA TIME

Everyone’s talking about Yamal’s goal. (US readers)

What’s a guard of honour–and is it compulsory?

Philipp Lahm on how to defend against today’s wingers.

Why NWSL ditching drafts was a good thing.

First real images of Man City’s new home kit.

What’s the closest to the end of a season a manager has been sacked?

The blueprint behind PSG’s win over Arsenal. (Analysis)

How a fighter pilot helped Bodo/Glimt reach Europa League semis.

GAME FACE ON

Question: Dutch pair Arne Slot and Virgil van Dijk became the first manager and captain of the same nationality to win the Premier League since who?

Scroll below for the answer.

ON TODAY

Europa League

• Athletic Club vs Manchester United (20:00)

• Tottenham Hotspur vs Bodo/Glimt (20:00)

Conference League

• Djurgarden vs Chelsea (20:00)

• Real Betis vs Fiorentina (20:00)

Premier League

• Nottingham Forest vs Brentford (19:30)

*All time in UK. ET -5. CDT -6. PDT -8. MDT -7. CET +1.

Answer

Arsene Wenger and captain Patrick Vieira for Arsenal in 2003-04.

Want more? Try our daily football Wordle – guess the name of a current or former player in six tries. Play it here.