SAN ANTONIO -- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich released a statement Monday, thanking the community, the Spurs organization and friends for their outpouring of support after the Hall of Famer suffered what the team called a "mild stroke" on Nov. 2 at Frost Bank Center.

"This has certainly been an unexpected six weeks for my family and me," Popovich said in the statement. "As we work together on my recovery, I want to take a moment to share that the outpouring of support we've received during this time has been truly overwhelming in the best possible way. While I wish I could get back to each and every one of you, for now, let me say that my family and I are forever grateful. We're thankful for our wonderful community, the entire Spurs organization, and our family and friends."

Popovich, 75, coached San Antonio's first five games, posting a record of 2-3.

When the club initially announced Popovich's condition, it mentioned the coach had already started a rehabilitation program and is expected to make a full recovery.

The NBA's all-time win leader, Popovich has led San Antonio to five NBA titles in addition to winning a gold medal in 2021 at the Tokyo Olympics as the head coach of USA Basketball.

Popovich is in his 29th season as San Antonio's coach.

The Spurs named assistant Mitch Johnson as the acting head coach in Popovich's absence for the foreseeable future.

Johnson, 38, has posted a record of 11-10 as a head coach this season, and the Spurs (13-13) currently sit at 11th place in the Western Conference standings going into Thursday's home matchup against the Atlanta Hawks.

"No one is more excited to see me return to the bench than the talented individuals who have been leading my rehabilitation process," Popovich said in the statement. "They've quickly learned that I'm less than coachable."

Norfolk State has reportedly interviewed former NFL sensation Michael Vick to be its next head football coach.

The Virginian-Pilot reported Monday that Vick, 44, who served 18 months in prison for dog fighting while in the prime of his career, told the newspaper he has spoken with university president Javaune Adams-Gaston and athletic director Melody Webb about the position and expects resolution "soon."

Norfolk State fired coach Dawson Odums in November after a 4-8 season. In Vick, the Spartans would be getting a coach without experience, but one who redefined the quarterback position at Virginia Tech and with the Atlanta Falcons, combining a powerful throwing arm with deft feet and speed.

"I know how to lead and I know what it takes," Vick told the newspaper.

Vick carried the Hokies to the 1999 national title game, where they lost to Florida State 46-29. The Falcons made him the first Black quarterback to be chosen with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 NFL draft.

He said the HBCU school reached out to him about the position.

Norfolk State didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

Vick was released from federal prison in 2009 after pleading guilty and serving his sentence for his role in a dog-fighting ring. The case upended his stardom on the field at a time when he was the posterchild for modern football. Vick made a comeback after he was released with the Philadelphia Eagles, but his prime years were behind him. He officially retired from the league in 2017, and has made advocating against animal cruelty a part of his mission.

He's been an NFL analyst for Fox Sports since his retirement.

Vick's hometown of Newport News, Virginia, is not far from Norfolk State's campus.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Charlotte Hornets are hoping to have all five starters on the floor together for the first time this season Monday night when they host the Philadelphia 76ers, who'll be without Joel Embiid.

LaMelo Ball, who hasn't played since suffering a strained calf on Nov. 27 against the Miami Heat, is listed as questionable after participating in shootaround.

"I feel all right," Ball said Monday. "I'll probably do shootaround [before the game] and see how that goes."

The Hornets entered training camp with plans on starting Ball alongside Brandon Miller, Miles Bridges, Josh Green and Mark Williams. However, Williams began the season injured and Miller and Bridges also missed time due to injuries. When Ball went down it left the Hornets thin, and they went 1-6 in his absence.

Ball had been playing at an All-Star level before the injury, averaging 31.1 points, 6.9 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game.

The Hornets (7-18) will need all hands on deck if they hope to get back in the playoff hunt. They are in 13th place in the Eastern Conference.

Ball said he's been working on his shot and studying different coverages he's faced when he was in the lineup and trying to learn how to attack them.

"It's always great getting guys back," Ball said. "I'm excited to play for real."

When asked of his expectations of having the group back together, Ball said, "It's been a minute, so we'll see."

Ball should benefit immensely from having Williams back on the floor, given that it will create more pick-and-roll opportunities.

"He's 7-foot-2 and he can move, all of that type of stuff," Ball said. "So that is great having Mark back."

Embiid is out with a right sinus fracture and will be evaluated in a week. The 76ers will also be without standout rookie Jared McCain, who has a torn meniscus that required surgery.

LAS VEGAS -- Milwaukee Bucks guard Khris Middleton missed practice Monday because of illness, leaving his status for the NBA Cup final against the Oklahoma City Thunder unclear.

The Bucks and Thunder play for the Cup on Tuesday night.

Middleton has played in only four games this season, averaging 7 points, 5.8 assists and 3 rebounds. He missed the Bucks' first 21 games while recovering from offseason surgeries on both of his ankles.

The three-time All-Star, who was part of Milwaukee's NBA championship and USA Basketball's run to Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games in 2021, had six points for the Bucks on Saturday in the team's semifinal win over Atlanta.

Joel Embiid is out indefinitely with a sinus fracture and will be reevaluated in approximately one week, the Philadelphia 76ers announced Monday.

Embiid suffered the injury in Friday's loss to the Indiana Pacers, just the sixth game he's played this season as swelling in his left knee has limited his availability.

Embiid was battling Indiana's Bennedict Mathurin for a defensive rebound in the closing seconds of the first half when he caught an errant forearm and elbow to the face. The team ruled him out early in the second half because of "impact to the right side of the face" in the cheek and nose area.

Embiid has had a number of facial injuries, including an orbital bone fracture after a collision with Pascal Siakam during the 2022 playoffs against the Toronto Raptors and one in 2018 after colliding with teammate Markelle Fultz. Last year, Embiid revealed during a first-round playoff loss to the New York Knicks that he had Bell's palsy.

Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George -- billed as Philadelphia's big three after George's offseason arrival -- have played parts of only three games together. The Sixers are 7-16 on the season.

Philadelphia also recently lost rookie guard Jared McCain to a torn meniscus. He is out indefinitely following surgery.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Ulster have a long list of injury doubts for Friday night's United Rugby Championship encounter against Irish rivals Munster at Kingspan Stadium.

Iain Henderson, Cormac Izuchukwu, Nick Timoney, Werner Kok, Nathan Doak and Aidan Morgan all picked up injuries in the Investec Champions Cup defeat by Bordeaux on Saturday.

Ulster said on Monday that the six players will be "monitored through training this week to ascertain their fitness to play in Friday's fixture".

Ben Carson and Stewart Moore, who were injured in Ulster's opening Champions Cup game against Toulouse, are "ongoing doubts" for the inter-provincial showdown.

However, there was some good news for Ulster with scrum-half John Cooney available for selection after resuming full team training.

Munster's weekend defeat by Castres also came at a cost with Craig Casey needing surgery after he sustained a meniscus injury.

Thaakir Abrahams dislocated his shoulder and will have scans to determine whether he requires surgery.

Dian Bleuler was removed after failing his head injury assessment and is following the return-to-play protocols while Diarmuid Barron passed his HIA and will be monitored following a shoulder injury.

Peter O'Mahony is a doubt with a calf contusion and Jean Kleyn is seeing a specialist for a thigh injury.

Every Monday, we'll mine the waiver wire for lesser-rostered performers who have the potential to help fantasy teams in a variety of leagues. We'll also present several strong streaming candidates for the immediate week ahead.

Resources: Goalie depth chart | Daily lines | Projections | Play for free | Player rater | Most added/dropped | Mock draft lobby | How to watch on ESPN+

Forwards

Artturi Lehkonen, LW, Colorado Avalanche (1.91 FPPG, 36.3% available): It's high time to get fully on board with Lehkonen across fantasy leagues. A player sharing the ice consistently with two of the top-10 (maybe top-six) players on the planet at both even strength and on the power play should not be available in more than a third of leagues. Yes, a healthy Jonathan Drouin could disrupt the consistent deployment on the top line as the Avs balance the attack, but a healthy Drouin has been a rare sight this season. The Avs four-game week includes bouts with the Canucks, Sharks, Ducks and Kraken, all great spots for top forwards like Lehkonen.

Jake DeBrusk, RW, Vancouver Canucks (2.08 FPPG, 33.9% available): Three out of the four games the Canucks play this week are actually against some of the better penalty-killing teams, but there is a gem in the middle here against the Utah Hockey Club that should help make the week for DeBrusk. But this isn't about the coming week only, as DeBrusk continues to prove himself as a smart pickup by the Canucks to settle on Elias Pettersson's wing. He's weathered plenty of lineup changes and seems to have staked a permanent claim on the top power-play unit.

Rickard Rakell, RW, Pittsburgh Penguins (2.14 FPPG, 46.8% available): Respect to the Penguins for throwing all pre-existing notions to the side and mixing up the attack. A new-look top power-play unit without Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson has looked pretty darn good. Rakell has been at the center of it, while also maintaining his top-line role with Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust. This week might not be the best, as the Penguins play two of their three games against teams that have suppressed opposition fantasy scoring on the power play (Predators and Devils). But the medium-term outlook for Rakell is quite positive.

Oliver Bjorkstrand, RW, Seattle Kraken (1.57 FPPG, 57.4% available): The Kraken are starting to show shades of their 2022-23 form when you could never tell which line was the most dangerous. Currently, it's third line (based on even-strength ice time) is the one doing the most damage. Bjorkstrand, Eeli Tolvanen and Shane Wright have all averaged better than 2.0 fantasy points per game across their past six outings. Bjorkstrand gets the headline here as he is also the most-frequent member of the top power-play unit from this grouping, though they all get some time on the advantage as the Kraken also like to give everyone looks there, too.

Pierre-Luc Dubois, C, Washington Capitals (1.58 FPPG, 87.4% available): With seven points across his past six games, Dubois is starting to look quite comfortable in his spot with the Capitals. As an added bonus, his recent success is not coming from an elevated lineup role that will be suppressed again when Alex Ovechkin returns - which could be this coming weekend, by the way. Dubois is putting up his points firmly from the second line and second power-play unit.

See also:

• Valeri Nichushkin, RW, Colorado Avalanche (1.69 FPPG, 52.1% available)

• Patrik Laine, RW, Montreal Canadiens (2.47 FPPG, 36.8% available)

• Josh Norris, C, Ottawa Senators (2.15 FPPG, 37.3% available)

• Trevor Moore, LW, Los Angeles Kings (1.36 FPPG, 51.2% available)

• Victor Olofsson, RW, Vegas Golden Knights (2.01 FPPG, 93.5% available)

• Jake Neighbours, LW, St. Louis Blues (1.70 FPPG, 84.2% available)

• Brandon Tanev, LW, Seattle Kraken (1.90 FPPG, 83.1% available)

Defense

Lane Hutson, D, Montreal Canadiens (1.62 FPPG, 57.3% available): The writing was on the wall a couple of week ago, but Hutson has fully assumed the role of power-play quarterback for the Habs now. While the initial jolt from the return of Patrik Laine has subsided, the Canadiens still have a dangerous attack that should be on full display this week; The Detroit Red Wings allow the most power-play goals per game in the NHL and the Habs happen to play them twice.

Jared Spurgeon, D, Minnesota Wild (1.72 FPPG, 83.5% available): The Wild blue line has taken a hit with the loss of Jake Middleton for what sounds like the long-term. But recommending Spurgeon is more about the Wild trying to find a spark for their below average power play. Spurgeon is getting looks on the top unit in favor of Brock Faber. The Wild's one weak spot this season is that they rank tied for 24th in power-play goals. Maybe Spurgeon can get the ball rolling? If not, maybe we see David Jiricek get a callup from the AHL soon.

See also:

• Mattias Ekholm, D, Edmonton Oilers (1.57 FPPG, 40.5% available)

• Chris Tanev, D, Toronto Maple Leafs (1.85 FPPG, 65.8% available)

• Ryan Pulock, D, New York Islanders (1.77 FPPG, 76.2% available)

• Adam Larsson, D, Seattle Kraken (1.59 FPPG, 45.0% available)

Goaltenders

Darcy Kuemper, G, Los Angeles Kings (2.83 FPPG, 81.3% available): The Kings could do Kuemper a huge favor this week given the schedule. They play three teams all ranked in the top 10 for fantasy points per game given up to opposing goaltenders - and then they face the team that is the worst for opposing goaltenders to close the week with a back-to-back set. If the Kings were feeling generous, they could start Kuemper for all three soft matchups and then throw David Rittich to the wolves against the Washington Capitals on Sunday. Sure sounds like I started Kuemper in a weekly-lineup league, doesn't it? But with three consecutive wins with only three total goals allowed since returning to action, there is plenty of reason to get Kuemper into lineups.

Mackenzie Blackwood, G, Colorado Avalanche (1.9 FPPG, 70.4% available): Blackwood stood tall in his Avalanche debut earning 7.4 fantasy points ... against the team that allows the most fantasy points to opposing goaltenders. I'm not trying to rain on any parades here - and I would absolutely burn the No. 1 waiver priority on a chance to get Blackwood - but it's worth tempering expectations just a little until Blackwood faces some more daunting opponents than a Roman Josi-less Predators lineup. The Canucks actually offer a great barometer on Monday as they rank 28th in fantasy points to opposing goaltenders (just 0.65 FPPG). But the rest of the week looks great with games against the Sharks, Ducks and Kraken.

Alex Lyon, G, Detroit Red Wings (2.22 FPPG, 95.6% available): With Cam Talbot aggravating his injury and back on the sidelines, it's a great time for Lyon to get healthy. If he's back in time on Wednesday, the Wings have three above-average goaltenders matchups this week with the Flyers and two games against the Habs on tap.

See also:

• Dustin Wolf, G, Calgary Flames (3.31 FPPG, 62.0% available)

• Sam Montembeault, G, Montreal Canadiens (1.43 FPPG, 70.9% available)

Short-term streamers

Alex Turcotte, C, Los Angeles Kings (0.86 FPPG, 99.8% available): The Kings elevated Turcotte to the top line on Saturday against the Rangers and he responded by scoring the first goal of the game. He finished with 17:07 (his most ice time of the season by almost two minutes) and two points after spending the game with Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe. This is especially relevant because of the coming week, in which the Kings have one of the better fantasy schedule for forwards with four games. The Penguins, Flyers and Predators allow plenty of fantasy points to opposing forwards with the Capitals the only tough matchup on tap.

Owen Power, D, Buffalo Sabres (1.81 FPPG, 48.4% available): We still don't have a precise timetable on Rasmus Dahlin's injury, from which he was originally projected to return from this past weekend. In the meantime, Power's scoring has been increased as he takes on the role of top defender with Dahlin on the sidelines. It's a risky move to pull him into lineups without a clear answer on Dahlin's status, but the floor for failure isn't terrible. Power still manages to flirt with fantasy relevance even with Dahlin in the lineup.

Jeff Skinner, LW, Edmonton Oilers (1.12 FPPG, 63.7% available): Nudged out of the top six by his own infrequent scoring, Skinner hasn't been a fantasy roster mainstay this season. While he may be putting in bottom-six minutes lately, he's still a part of the secondary power-play unit. If ever there was a week to consider that relevant, it would be this one. The Oilers play the Florida Panthers, Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks and Senators in a four-game week, and those middle two opponents are particularly susceptible to giving up both power-play opportunities and goals.

Aaron Ekblad, D, Florida Panthers (1.65 FPPG, 60.3% available): The Panthers are slumping again and there is a chance Aleksander Barkov is sick, but in daily-lineup leagues, they are the best team this week. The Cats play Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, meaning they are in action on the off-days for 11 other teams. Pair Ekblad with Jake Walman, Alex Vlasic, Vladislav Gavrikov or Thomas Chabot and you'll have a D roster spot active every day this week. Other combinations of two teams that get you seven days of action include: Canucks with the Hurricanes, Rangers or Capitals; the Stars with the Kings, Senators or Kraken; the Capitals and Flyers; or the Avalanche and Jets.

J.T. Compher, RW, Detroit Red Wings (1.19 FPPG, 96.3% available): The Red Wings have had the lines in a blender of late as they look to spark the offense. Compher has been getting looks on the top power-play unit as part of it. That's particularly interesting for the coming week as the Red Wings play the Canadiens twice, a team that ranks among the most power-play opportunities allowed and gives up plenty of power-play goals in the process.

The draw for the UEFA Women's European Championship 2025 was made on Monday, with holders England set to face France in Group D and World Cup winners Spain to come up against Italy in Group B.

England will also play against 2017 winners the Netherlands and tournament debutants Wales in what is a tough draw for the reigning champions, while Spain and Italy's group will feature Belgium and Portugal.

England coach Sarina Wiegman guided the Dutch to the trophy in 2017 before leading the Lionesses' triumph in 2022. Montse Tome, meanwhile, will be hoping Spain can pick up the only major title that the nation's men's and women's teams have not yet claimed.

Eight-time women's Euros winners Germany were drawn against Denmark in Group C as well as Sweden and Euro 2025's other newcomers Poland.

Hosts Switzerland will play Iceland, Norway and Finland in Group A. The Swiss open the tournament on July 2 against Norway, who they also faced at the 2023 Women's World Cup where they played out a 0-0 draw in Hamilton, New Zealand.

Draw in full:

Group A: Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, Finland

Group B: Spain, Italy, Belgium, Portugal.

Group C: Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Poland.

Group D: France, England, Netherlands, Wales.

A Manchester City fan died after a medical incident at Sunday's match against Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium, the club confirmed on Monday.

In a statement, the club said: "Manchester City are aware of the tragic news that one of our supporters passed away following a medical incident at [Sunday's] match.

"The thoughts of everyone at the club are with their family and friends at this incredibly difficult time."

We're getting awfully close to Christmas now, and a number of Europe's big clubs must have been distracted by thoughts of presents under the tree and turkeys on the dinner table.

How else could Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus and Bayern Munich all dropping points be explained?

We saw a number of excellent comebacks over the weekend, and a number of world-class strikes as well.

What else did you miss around Europe this weekend? ESPN's Julien Laurens, Sam Marsden and Constantin Eckner recap all the action in this edition of Weekend Review.

Premier League

Top takeaway: The weekend's big winners? Chelsea

Christmas arrived early for Enzo Maresca and his Chelsea players. Santa Claus delivered pretty much the perfect weekend: a 2-1 win for the Blues against Brentford at Stamford Bridge, while rivals Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa all dropped points.

Cole Palmer & Co. are now just two points behind league leaders Liverpool (who still have a game in hand against Everton) but four points clear of the Gunners in third, six ahead of Nottingham Forest in fourth and seven from City in fifth.

Sunday's performance against Brentford was another typical one for Chelsea this season. They created a lot of chances and squandered plenty as well. On another day, either team could have won this game 4-3.

Nevertheless, Chelsea will be happy with another win -- their 10th of the season, just one fewer than Liverpool. The Blues have 34 points after 16 games. They had 19 points at the same stage last season.

Best match: Southampton 0-5 Tottenham Hotspur

Each team probably thought it was the best time to play the other, considering each other's poor current form. But it was only true for Tottenham, who were up 1-0 after 36 seconds, 3-0 after 14 minutes and 5-0 by halftime. It was an extraordinary first half of football from Ange Postecoglou's side.

Best goal: Fulham's Rodrigo Muniz vs. Liverpool

In an ideal world, Muniz's lovely back heel goal, after a brilliant cross by man-of-the-match Antonee Robinson, at Liverpool would have been the winner and provided the Brazilian striker even more joy. Diogo Jota and the Reds equalised, but it was still a great moment for the Fulham forward.

MVP of the weekend: Amad, Manchester United

Performances like these make you shake your head when you think that Erik ten Hag hardly played Amad when he was the Manchester United manager. The Ivory Coast international was the star of the show in Sunday's Manchester Derby, leading to United manager Ruben Amorim's first win against City. -- Laurens

LaLiga

Top takeaway: Stuttering Barça lose again

Barcelona's blip is in danger of becoming a full-blown crisis after they were beaten 1-0 by Leganés at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday. They have now won just one of their past six LaLiga games and have seen their lead at the top evaporate. They were nine points clear after beating Real Madrid in October. They are now level on points with Atlético Madrid, and one point ahead of Real Madrid having played a game more than both. It sets up a huge game when they host Atléti next weekend.

One of several reasons why Barça, who won 11 of their opening 12 league games, have stopped winning matches is because the goals have dried up. They are still the league's top scorers with 50 goals in 18 games, but back-to-back home defeats against Las Palmas and Leganés have been punctuated by a failure to take their chances. They managed 20 shots against the latter but were denied by an inspirational Marko Dmitrovic in the visitor's goal. Barça's Robert Lewandowski, meanwhile, had six shots -- and amassed 1.65 xG on his own -- but could not find the back of the net.

Hansi Flick's side will seek solace in the midweek win over Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League and the fact that they have delivered in the big games this season. They will need to do so again next week against Atlético. The pressure is growing.

Best match: Rayo Vallecano 3-3 Real Madrid

Real Madrid trailed by two, led by one and ended up drawing in a six-goal thriller at Rayo Vallecano. Like Barça, they continue to sputter, although not quite to the same extent. They have won just five of their past 10 games in all competitions and have been overtaken by Atlético in LaLiga. It did appear they would leave Vallecas with the three points this weekend as they battled back from 2-0 down. Jude Bellingham was on target for the sixth successive league game, Federico Valverde scored a screamer and Rodrygo also netted. But there was a final twist as Rayo grabbed a point. The game ended with Madrid complaining that a penalty was not given at 3-3 for a challenge on Vinícius Junior.

Best goal: Federico Valverde vs. Rayo Vallecano

Midfielder Valverde's goal to get Madrid back into the game against Rayo was a beauty. He took one touch to control the ball, another to set himself up and then fizzed an unstoppable low shot into the bottom corner from almost 30 yards. The Uruguayan now has four goals this season in LaLiga -- and all four have come from outside the box.

MVP of the weekend: Jesús Navas, Sevilla

There were tears at the Sanchez Pizjuán this weekend as Jesús Navas played his final home game for Sevilla before hanging his boots up at the end of the year. The winger made his debut for the club in 2003 and, with a brief spell at Manchester City in the middle, has gone on to make over 700 first-team appearances. He got the send-off he deserved with a starting role in Saturday's 1-0 win over Celta Vigo. -- Marsden

Bundesliga

Top takeaway: Ugly incident in Berlin could spark political debate

The Bundesliga is often rightfully praised for its matchday atmosphere. Sold-out stadiums and passionate crowds often make for a great experience that has become a selling point to global audiences. But every once in a while, things can get out of hand.

After over 90 minutes of intense battle between Union Berlin and VfL Bochum on the pitch of Alte Försterei, a home fan threw a lighter at Bochum goalkeeper Patrick Drewes who was hit in the head and unable to continue. The match was interrupted for almost half an hour before both teams returned to finish stoppage time, with both sides agreeing to a "non-aggression pact" for the remaining minutes.

Because bottom club Bochum had already used up all of their substitutions, striker Philipp Hofmann replaced Drewes in goal for the last few minutes. The game ended 1-1, but Bochum will lodge a protest arguing that they were put in a disadvantageous position with their goalkeeper indisposed by an opposition fan.

Union officials emphasised that it was an act of a single individual who the police have already identified. It will be intriguing to see whether this incident not only leads to a result change but also to any ramifications for stadium-goers. Politicians have argued in the past that checks on entry need to be stricter and the use of pyrotechnics should be punished more severely. Saturday's events in Berlin could fuel the fire for this argument.

Best match: Mainz 2-1 Bayern Munich

Mainz managed to stun injury-hit league leaders Bayern, who slipped to their first league defeat of the season. The hosts did a wonderful job isolating Jamal Musiala. The 21-year-old starlet is seemingly much less effective at the moment with Harry Kane currently on the sidelines due to injury.

Best goal: Armin Gigovic vs. Borussia Monchengladbach

Gladbach cruised to a 4-1 home win against struggling Holstein Kiel in a one-sided affair. However, there was a brief moment of hope for second-bottom Kiel when Gigović pulled one back for the visitors just four minutes after the hosts had taken a 2-0 first-half lead. Gigović hit the ball perfectly from about 25 yards out, leaving Moritz Nicolas absolutely no chance in the Gladbach goal. The shot had an expected-goals value of only 0.03.

MVP of the weekend: Lee Jae-Sung, Mainz

Scoring twice against Bayern Munich in a shock win is justification enough to be named MVP. Lee joined Mainz in 2021 after three years at Kiel in 2. Bundesliga. During his time in Germany, the South Korea star has regularly scored goals in crucial games, be it in relegation playoffs, in the final weeks of a season, and now against the previously unbeaten table leaders. -- Eckner

What else you missed this weekend

Emotions on the rise at Juventus

Thiago Motta was hired to re-energize Juventus, but the Bianconeri remain as dull as they were under former boss Massimiliano Allegri. Following an impressive 2-0 win over a struggling Manchester City side in the Champions League on Wednesday, Juventus were back to normal on Saturday, playing to a 2-2 draw with bottom side Venezia. The injury-riddled Bianconeri still remain the only unbeaten side so far this season in Serie A, but with 10 draws in 16 league games they slip down to sixth in the standings after Saturday's share of the spoils.

Motta was suspended at the weekend after receiving his marching orders during Juventus' 2-2 draw with his former club Bologna last week. Hence, he was not present when striker Dusan Vlahovic lost his temper and lashed back at protesting supporters. Vlahović scored from the penalty spot in stoppage time preventing Juventus from suffering their first league defeat. But still, no one was happy at the final whistle.

"I think it's normal, frustration exists on everyone's part, first and foremost the players because they know perfectly well that we can do better. We need to stay united and together. The criticisms are right because we are not where we need to be," Motta said after the game.

"The public has the freedom to express feelings and emotions. Duna [Vlahović] is the first who wants to change the situation, these are things that have already happened and that we hope can change in the future." -- Eckner

Silverware for Celtic after Old Firm thriller

Celtic got the better of Old Firm rivals Rangers on Sunday as they won the Scottish League Cup on penalties after a six-goal thriller at Hampden Park. It was a final packed with entertainment. Rangers led 1-0 at the break before the game exploded into life in the second half. Celtic led 2-1, Rangers levelled at 2-2 and then Celtic thought they had won it in the 87th minute through Nicolas-Gerrit Kühn only for Danilo to level a minute later.

A calmer 30 minutes followed in extra-time, giving way to a penalty shootout in which Kasper Schmeichel emerged as the hero. The veteran Danish goalkeeper saved from Rıdvan Yılmaz to ensure the first piece of silverware of the Scottish season went to Brendan Rodgers's side. -- Marsden