The42

A STAR-STUDDED London City Lionesses, featuring Alexia Putellas, beat Manchester United 2-1 to make a statement start to their quest to become the first independent club to win the Women’s Super League (WSL). Backed by billionaire American businesswoman Michelle Kang, the London-based Lionesses have spent big to bring in two-time Ballon d’Or winner Putellas as well as ex-England goalkeeper Mary Earps and French winger Kadidiatou Diani alongside a cast of other top female players.

Barry Landy reports from Sullivan & Lambe Park CUP SPECIALIST JOHN Caulfield guided Galway United to within one game of a first FAI Cup final appearance in 35 years as 2024 winners Drogheda United, who played the last 30 minutes with just 10 men, were dispatched at Sullivan & Lambe Park.

ALEXANDER ISAK STRUCK twice in the opening 10 minutes as Liverpool delivered a first win for new manager Andoni Iraola with a 2-0 victory at Ipswich on Friday. Isak’s Premier League record €145 million move from Newcastle was matched this week by Manchester City’s signing of Enzo Fernández, but 12 months on the Swede is finally beginning to deliver on his price tag.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND’S Troy Parrot emerged as the hero for Real Betis as he scored his first goal since joining the La Liga outfit to earn a stunning victory over Real Madrid. Parrott, who came on in the 68th minute, scored what proved to be the only goal of the game on 81 minutes. The game ended in a frantic conclusion as Real Madrid had a goal disallowed by VAR before Kylian Mbappé missed a penalty in injury time.

FOR SO LONG in a tense Dublin derby that at times teetered on the brink of drab it felt like the football was actually secondary to so much of the drama off the pitch. Shamrock Rovers will be glad of the fact they weren’t at the centre of it, even if there will be regret at not winning this game in hand. Shelbourne fans celebrated the draw but the noise surrounding matters at the Drumcondra club is enough to satisfy the most salacious of palates.

Adrian Flanagan reports from the RSC A DOMINANT SECOND-half performance from Waterford FC steered Graham Coughlan’s side into their first Club Orange FAI Men’s Cup semi-final since 2022 as they comfortably overcame Sligo Rovers in their quarter-final tie at the RSC.

Bryn Palmer reports from the Hive Stadium ULSTER EMERGED AS narrow victors from a satisfying first pre-season friendly outing against Edinburgh at the Hive Stadium. Both sides scored four tries in an entertaining encounter, but Ross Thompson’s unsuccessful conversion of the hosts’ final score, which bounced off an upright, denied Edinburgh a draw.

THE DEPARTING MONAGHAN manager, Gabriel Bannigan, has criticised the Monaghan county board and some senior players that he believes were behind his ousting from the role. Speaking to Off The Ball, Bannigan accuses the administrators of going back on their support for him to continue in the role, after reaching the Ulster final and losing to Armagh in injury-time, before a shock exit to Louth in the All-Ireland quarter-final. “I sat down with the county board about six weeks ago,” said Bannigan.

SPRINT STARS OBLIQUE Seville and Julien Alfred won their respective races on the opening day of the two-day Diamond League finals in Brussels on Friday. But the evening’s entertainment was mired by the withdrawal of Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis with a tightness in his leg that had resurfaced at last week’s meet in Zurich. “I pushed through it, probably a little bit too much. I said that if I felt this irritation during my warm-up, I wasn’t going to jump,” the US-born Swede said.

HEAD COACH LUIS Enrique has agreed a three-year contract extension with two-time defending European champions Paris Saint-Germain, the Ligue 1 giants announced Friday. The Spaniard’s previous deal had been due to expire at the end of this season, but he has signed a new deal lasting until 2030.